Place Description
112 North River Road is a wood framed, Queen Anne Revival style, former home that is located on a large treed lot. The fine home was designed by famed Island architect, William Critchlow Harris for Major William Arthur Weeks. The home served as a single residence for many years, but has been added to and now serves as a multiple dwelling. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.
Why is this place important?
The heritage value of 112 North River Road lies in its association with various prominent Charlottetown residents; its attractive Queen Anne Revival architecture; and its role in supporting the streetscape.
Major William A. Weeks was a lawyer, merchant and Boer War veteran. Before he was admitted to the Bar in 1885, he worked with the firm of Peters & Peters. Weeks later formed a partnership with John F. Whear to form the law firm of Weeks & Whear. He also worked for the Office of the Prothonotary and according to a local directory, was Acting Collector of Inland Revenue for a time. In addition to his legal pursuits, Weeks was the owner of the successful dry goods firm, W.A. Weeks & Company.
Not only active in civilian life, Weeks was a veteran of the Boer War and had been a member of the local Militia for many years. He served as Commander of the G Company in the War, which combined the soldiers from New Brunswick and PEI, and was Aide de Camp and Chief of Staff to General Hutton at Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia.
According to local telephone and provincial directories, by 1922 Walter S. Grant occupied the home. Grant was the Division Superintendent of the Canadian National Railway. He would reside at 112 North River Road for many years.
Prominent local architect, William Critchlow Harris, designed the large Queen Anne home at 112 North River Road and it was constructed in approximately 1892. The Queen Anne Revival style was somewhat subdued in Charlottetown compared with other provinces. It was a popular style in Charlottetown from approximately 1880 until 1910. Richard N. Shaw (1831-1912), a British architect, created the style that incorporated some of the classical motifs popular during Queen Anne's reign (1702-1714). Features of the style include asymmetrical massing, a variety of rooflines, porches and complex details. The home exhibits many of the Queen Anne Revival style characteristics. A beautiful and well kept home; it is an asset to the North River Road streetscape.
Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Special Characteristics
The following Queen Anne Revival style influenced character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 112 North River Road:
- The asymmetrical massing of the building
- The various sizes and placement of the windows, including the grouped windows, the bay windows of the west side and the dormer windows of the north and south sides of the roof
- The style and placement of the doors, particularly the first floor door of the south side with its gabled roof overhead and ornate treillage
- The door of the west side with its ornate verandah and the two second floor doors within the porches
- The gable roofs
- The cone shaped roof over the stacked bay windows on the west side of the house
- The style and placement of the chimneys
- The wooden cladding of the home, particularly the fish scale cladding of the second floor, as well as the board and batten in the belt course and the gables
- The porches and verandahs with their decorative treillage, arches and pilasters
Other character-defining elements of 112 North River Road are:
- The location of the building on North River Road
- The orientation of the building facing south and thus, side on to the North River Road
- The large additions to the back of the home
- The large treed lot
