Augustine House

Augustine House is prominently located on 145 Main Street, and serves as a reminder of the past to those that pass by the property. With some production for the business being carried out in a blacksmith shop that was once located behind the house, its central location is linked to the historic and economic development of Stonebridge, Humberstone, and later Port Colborne. Main Street remains a commercial area today, and the house stands as a symbol of the hard work of many of Port Colborne's early settlers and their contribution to the city's economic development.

Augustine was the senior partner of the firm Augustine and Kilmer, which operated an extensive carriage manufacturing business. Augustine's carriage business was well known, their carriages described as being of “the best quality and cannot be excelled by any establishment in Canada” and the owners were confident that “for beauty and durability combined they cannot be surpassed”.

The building, built by Elias Augustine in circa 1860, exhibits a variety of mid-nineteenth century detail. Generally categorized as a variation of Classical Revival, Augustine House is a two-storey red brick structure with a medium pitched roof and two stone chimneys, boasting a gable front arrangement. The symmetrical placement of doors and windows are drawn from the Greek Revival style. The semi-elliptical shape of the openings is reflective of the Italianate style. Of particular interest is the detailed woodwork of the veranda, with its small pediment framing the double-leaved front door. A fieldstone one-storey rear addition was constructed as a fruit cellar.