76 St. Ninian Street, c. 1906

Thomas J. Bonner first acquired the property at 76 St. Ninian Street in 1898. This Pictou-County native came to Antigonish at the age of 16, and began working as a bookkeeper at the general store of John McMillan & Co. In 1894, he opened a grocery store which developed into a large and prosperous retail and wholesale business. He sold groceries, flour, crockery, clothing, boots and shoes, and "an immense stock of novelties of every description." By tbe later 1890s, Bonner was billed as Antigonish's "Leading Grocer" with the slogan: "If you can't get it at Bonner's then it can't be got in Antigonish." Bonner was even local distributor for Studebakers and Overland automobiles.

This large 2-storey house, built in c. 1906, projects a substantial elegance. It bears a striking resemblance to the mansions known as the "Fox Houses" built in Prince Edward Island during the hey-day of its fox-farming boom. This structure is the epitome of late 19th-century architectural eclecticism. Although the facade is symmetrical, the house displays variegated shapes and forms. Such complexity was made possible by the introduction of balloon frame construction which revolutionized house design and construction. The balloon frame featured light two-inch boards held together by wire nails and permitted builders to break free from the limitations of heavy-timber framing and to experiment with more innovative house shapes. 76 St. Ninian Street, which reveals the superimposition of several different styles, has a complex architectural pedigree. It draws on both Italianate and Queen Anne influences. The dominant front-facing gable, the ornamental detailing on the eaves and main dormer, and the asymmetrical one-storey full-width verandah which sweeps around the west side are clearly Queen Anne adaptations. 76 St. Ninian Street, known locally as the "Cornish Arms", now serves as an apartment complex. Such is the usual fate of the large turn-of-the-century house.

Stephanie Purcell

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