36. 'The English Style'

This English house style began appearing in the Quebec City area some time after the British conquest of New France around 1760. It later spread to some of the English-speaking provinces but remains rare outside of Quebec.

What to look for (clues)

• The house is built at street level usually touching the sidewalk. You must go down 2 or 3 steps to reach the centered main doorway. There is a large window on each side of the door.

• A verandah runs the width of the second floor but (originally) provided no access to the ground.

• There are 4 large openings on the 2nd floor. One is a doorway to the verandah. This door is not above the main lower entrance, making the building asymmetrical.

• The roof is a hip-style, but the front and rear portions have been elongated. This creates a ridge where the roofs meet. Two dormer windows appear on the front section. Two large chimneys are on either side of the back section.

• The large windows are double casements and swing inward

Where to find it

There are 4 examples along Avenue Royal in Beauport, a city adjoining Quebec City. This area is 'a gold mine' for people interested in architecture. Beauport, alone, has identified 677 historical homes!
To my complete astonishment, the house shown here exists in Elora, Ontario!