324 Main Street, c. 1858

This handsome clapboard house was built in 1857 by Alexander MacDonald, "Sandy the Carpenter". It was originally owned by Master Mariner and Ship Owner, Captain Dan MacDonald. His vessels frequently carried freight to Newfoundland. According to the 1871 census, Captain Dan's household consisted of thirteen people, including two servants. Little wonder that the house features three dormers which would have enhanced the useable sleeping space on the second floor. The interior arrangement of space in this style of house was basic. The main floor usually consisted of the hall, two front parlours (one most often serving as a dining room), as well as a kitchen and bedroom. The upper floor was consigned to the bed chambers, usually echoing the room arrangement on the first floor with an additional small bedroom over the entrance hall.

With its traditional 1 1/2 storey square symmetrical configuration and clapboard exterior (now covered in aluminum siding), 324 Main Street is a striking example of Maritime Vernacular. Although it represents a stylistic variation of the New England Cape Cod, the house also integrates many basis components from the classical idiom, such as the pedimented dormers, the triple Palladian-style second-storey window, the prominent pilasters, the return eaves and the multi-paned transom and sectioned side lights. As with most Maritime classical revival houses, the enriched entrance with its panelled door and entablature is the focal point. Although aspects of the house have been modernized, the traditional 6/6 sash windows have survived.

[It should be noted that during the summer of 1998, this house underwent substantial modifications. The windows have been modernized and the front of the building now features matching bay windows which have fundamentally altered the original stylistic character of this dwelling.]

Robyn Veinotte

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