Place Description
269 Queen Street is a wood framed, Georgian inspired home that is located on the corner of Queen and Euston Streets. It has a symmetrical facade, gable roof, and wood shingle cladding. 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 269 Queen Street lies in its association with the Bayfield family; its association with the Countess of Westmoreland; its Georgian architecture and its importance to the streetscape.
Although it is unclear when 269 Queen Street was built, the home was standing as early as October 1839. The Countess of Westmoreland, who owned part of Lot 29, came to Prince Edward Island in the winter of 1839. A local newspaper, the Colonial Herald, announced her arrival in its 19 October 1839 edition and mentioned that the "house on Upper Queen Street has been prepared for her reception." This house was 269 Queen Street.
The Countess was Lady Jane Saunders Fane, the wife of John Fane (1759-1841), the 10th Earl of Westmoreland. According to a letter written by Mrs. Sidney Dealey, the locals found the Countess somewhat eccentric because she talked incessantly and dressed her favourite greyhound "in a silk cloak and a velvet cap, padded ...to keep its dear little ears warm"!
Other important historical figures associated with 269 Queen Street were Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield (1793-1895) and his wife, Fanny Amelia Wright Bayfield (1813-1891). Bayfield was a prominent British naval officer and hydrographic surveyor of Canada. His surveys were used extensively for many years.
Fanny Amelia Wright Bayfield, was an artist and one of the first female art instructors in Charlottetown. Her work is held by a number of galleries and private collections throughout Canada. The couple had come to Prince Edward Island in 1841 and remained at 269 Queen Street for approximately 35 years. Their summer home in Stratford also still survives.
During the Bayfields' time at 269 Queen Street, there was a great deal more land attached to the property than at present. The large property included an orchard, gardens and a coach house. Currently the home is on the corner of two busy streets. It is Georgian influenced in its design. The Georgian style emerged from 18th Century Britain and was intent on expressing confidence, order and balance. 269 Queen Street is a good example of Georgian influenced architecture in Charlottetown.
Later occupants of the home included Oliver Rattenbury, Joseph K. Ross, and the family of the Reverend J.W. MacKenzie. 269 Queen Street has been renovated and is an asset to the Queen and Euston Street streetscapes as well as the City of Charlottetown.
Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Special Characteristics
The following Georgian influenced character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 269 Queen Street:
- The massing of the wood framed building with its symmetrical facade
- The style and placement of the windows, including the four large windows of the first floor and the five smaller windows of the second floor facade
- The style and placement of the doors, particularly the centrally placed panel front door and porch.
-The gable roof, two sidelights and triangular pediment of the front porch
- The simple, contrasting trim running throughout the facade including the window and door surrounds, as well as the large corner boards
- The pitch of the gable roofs and the eave returns
- The style and placement of the chimneys
Other character-defining elements of 269 Queen Street are:
- The location of the building set close to the street on the corner of Queen Street and Euston Street
- The large piece on the back or west side of the home
