Intention to Designate 176 Wilson St E, Ancaster (Birch Lawn)

Description of Property

The 0.125-hectare property municipally-addressed as 176 Wilson Street East is comprised of a two-storey brick dwelling constructed circa 1881. The property is located on the southeastern side of Wilson Street East, opposite the intersection of Wilson Street East and Dalley Drive, in the community of Ancaster in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The two-storey brick dwelling located at 176 Wilson Street East, Ancaster, known historically as ‘Birch Lawn’, was constructed circa 1881. A small sympathetic addition was constructed on the southern side by the mid-to-late-twentieth century. The property has design or physical value as it is a representative example of the Italianate style of architecture as applied to a private dwelling, displaying a high degree of craftsmanship in its construction.Contextually, the property is important in supporting the character of the historic village of Ancaster and is historically linked to its surroundings. It is located on the historic Wilson Street transportation corridor and still marks the western entrance into the core, though now surrounded by modern construction.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key attributes that embody the design/physical value of the property as being representative of the Italianate style or architecture and demonstrating a high degree of craftsmanship, include:

• The front (north) and side (east and west) elevations and roofline of the two-storey brick building, including its:
  • Truncated hip roof with wide projecting eaves and paired decorative wooden brackets;
  • Single stack corbelled brick chimney to the east;
  • Projecting three-sided two-storey bays to the front (north) and side (east) with polygonal roofs;
  • Segmentally-arched window openings with decorative buff brick broken pediment hoods, stone lug sills and one-over-one hung wood windows with storms;
  • Front door with segmentally-arched opening with buff brick voussoirs and transom; and,
  • Dichromatic brick work including buff brick quoining, paneling under the projecting eaves and chimney detailing.

Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a supporting feature of the historical character of Wilson Street East include its:

• Location fronting onto Wilson Street East at the eastern entrance into Ancaster Village.