827-863 Hamilton Street

The houses at 827-863 Hamilton Street are aesthetically valued for their typical Victorian design in the Queen Anne style and for their contribution to a cohesive streetscape. The houses are distinguished by their two-storey bays and fine ornamental detailing. The similarities of the houses, with nearly identical plans and a close spatial relationship between each building, contribute to a generally cohesive streetscape.

While the houses have incurred some physical changes over time, and were moved further back from the street during the consolidation and redevelopment of the site in 1990, the alterations speak to their viability and contribute to their historic significance. The houses were adapted to evolving commercial needs and converted to retail use in the 1990s. Of the four houses in this group, the Alex Gibson House at 847 Hamilton Street is the only house with all of its original decorative detailing intact. The house 827 Hamilton Street is a replica of the house that was built here in 1893.

The houses are of value as surviving examples of single-family residential development in a neighbourhood that predominantly consists of commercial structures and high-rise residential development. These houses are typical of the early residential property development that occurred in the city’s centre during the Victorian era. This cluster of houses is the only remaining grouping of houses that demonstrate Victorian-era development.