Bellevue Terrace

The building at 10 Patterson Street, commonly known as Bellevue Terrace, is situated on an elevated parcel of land one block east of Belleville’s main downtown street. The three-storey red brick structure was constructed to the designs of architect James A. Davis and is characterized by an Eclectic High Victorian design.

The exterior of the building is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The property is also designated by the City of Belleville under Part IV (Bylaw 10799) of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Bellevue Terrace was built in 1876 as a block of six luxurious three-storey townhouses. The project was financed by a local clothier named Isaac B. Graham and was designed to replicate the appearance of early townhouse developments in England. The building is a relic of Belleville’s first economic slump, as its construction occurred during the decline of the community’s once prominent lumber industry. Despite the economic hardships of the time, the building boasted a variety of lavish details including hot and cold water on the second floor, marble fireplaces, and modern conveniences such as bell-pulls and speaking tubes.

Designed by architect James A. Davis, the three-storey red brick structure contains all of the signature features of the Eclectic High Victorian style including an irregular massing of exterior details, the use of brackets under the eaves, and large bays on the main facade. The building’s most significant feature is the utilization of concrete in forming architectural details. First employed as a construction material in the 1870s, concrete was used in the Bellevue Terrace to compose the majority of stylistic features such as window hoods, windowsills, and the patterned frieze that extends along the top of the building’s main facade. The only major alteration to impact the exterior of the structure occurred in 1929 when the terrace’s six three-storey townhouses were converted into 18 one-storey apartments. This modification resulted in the removal of approximately two feet of soil from around the building’s foundation in an attempt to brighten the bottom floor apartments and allow separate access.

Located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Patterson and Pinnacle Streets, the Bellevue Terrace commands an elevated view of Belleville’s downtown core. The building was originally bordered to the south by the terraced grounds of the Hastings County Court House and Gaol, subsequently demolished. Due to the irregular topography of the area, the grounds surrounding the Bellevue Terrace are supported by large retaining walls to the south and to the west.

Source: Conservation Easement Files, Ontario Heritage Trust

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage values include the:

- eclectic High Victorian design

- red brick cladding in a stretcher bond style and the exposed limestone foundation at the ground level

- horizontal segregation of the six original units on the main (south) facade with each unit containing a covered wooden porch, prominent wooden staircase, and projecting brick bay

- covered wooden porches containing decorative friezes with scroll designs, rectangular transoms with rounded upper corners, and paired wooden doors with large arched windows

- concrete hood moulds and keystones above the arch-headed windows

- concrete frieze replicating the scroll design of the covered porches

- combination of large and small wooden brackets below the soffit

- sculpturally treated quoins at the building’s corners

- elevated location overlooking downtown Belleville

- irregular topography of its site