86 Church Street, c. 1880

The 2-storey clapboard house at 86 Church Street harks back to the opulence of Antigonish's late 19th-century grand homes. The house was built by local businessman, William J. Beck, known locally as "Major Buck". Unfortunately, in 1881, shortly after the construction of the house, Buck died; his widow remained there until 1894. At that time, the house was sold to Colin MacIsaac, a prominent lawyer and politician.

Like "Frank's Villa" at 105 Church Street and "Elmwood Homestead" at 85 St. Ninian Street, the Beck residence built in 1880 was architecturally indebted to Second Empire. Although lacking the ubiquitous projecting tower and abundant surface detail, it does have bay windows and the steep mansard roofline. It also features a popular Maritime Second Empire adaptation--dormers which cut through the eaves line of the roof. Although the eaves are ornamented with dentils, the dormers, by Maritime standards, are quite reserved, lacking any real decorative flourish. The house also exhibits elements of late Victorian eclecticism where builders freely adapted stylistic details from classical and medieval precedents. The portico entrance with its pediment, fanlight and side lights, and the pediment-like mouldings over the second-storey windows are clearly Greek Revival in inspiration. 86 Church represents a fascinating simplification and blending of architectural forms.

Daniel Jankowski