Provincial Registry of Heritage Property · Nova Scotia
Charles Richards House
Yarmouth, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The record
- Designation
- Provincially registered heritage property
- Type
- residence
- Year built
- 1893
- Decade built
- 1890-1899
- Builder
- Amos Crosby
- Notice of registration date
- 28 March 2006
- Civic address
- 17 Collins Street
- Community
- Yarmouth
- County
- Yarmouth
- Province
- Nova Scotia
- Country
- Canada
- Coordinates
- 43.83640, -66.11635
- File number
- Prov_file_265
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesRoe Brothers, Atlas of the Maritime Provinces (1879) / Internet ArchiveBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
3 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1859 map "Colton's Maine (1859)" (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1859 · Colton's Maine (1859) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1878 · Yarmouth, Shelburne counties, N.S. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1879 · County of Digby, Nova Scotia (Roe Brothers Atlas of the Maritime Provinces) (Roe Brothers, Atlas of the Maritime Provinces (1879) / Internet Archive)
The Province of Nova Scotia's Registered Heritage Properties dataset ↗
The Province's registration record
Reason for registration
its superb Queen Anne Revival architecture; its recent restoration; its association with the commercial history of Yarmouth; and with its former owners. The Charles C. Richards House is architecturally significant for its Queen Anne Revival style. It was the first brick house to be built in Yarmouth, and is only 1 of 2 brick Queen Anne Revival houses in Nova Scotia. The style is captured in the house's open veranda, with decorative wooden trim and balustrade, which wraps around the entire front of the house. The eave line of the gabled roof is elaborately trimmed. In 1999 a detailed and award winning restoration of the house began, returning the house to its original glory. Located in the heart of the Collin's Heritage Conservation District, it has become a local landmark since its restoration. It is historically significant for its association with Yarmouth entrepreneur and druggist Charles C. Richards. The house is also associated with John D. Kirk who was a prominent Yarmouth businessman and was also heavily involved in the local shipbuilding and fishing indusries.
Character-defining elements
Character-defining elements of the Charles Richards House include:
- brick construction materials;
- location within the Collins Heritage Conservation District;
- two-and-a-half-stories;
- metal roof tiles that mimic original slate roof tiles;
- modern leaded stained glass windows, custom built to replace original damaged windows;
- inset chimney with decorative brickwork;
- windows trimmed with lightly carved sandstone lintels;
- granite and stone foundation.
Character-defining elements of the Charles Richards House which relate to the Queen Anne Revival style include:
- steeply pitched, hipped roof with lower cross gables;
- asymmetrical façade;
- wrap around porch with turned posts, spindlework ornamentation and decorative brackets;
- central two-story bay widow on front façade;
- windows of varying shapes and sizes;
- semilune windows in attic storey, and gable extensions.
Nearby in the register
- MacKinnon-Cann Innresidenceunder 1 mi
- Augustus Cann Estateresidenceunder 1 mi
- Guest Houseresidenceunder 1 mi
- Lovitt Houseresidenceunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.