Municipally Registered Property
Lorenzo Spencer House
Truro, Nova Scotia
Also known as 20 Dominion Street
Lorenzo Spencer House, east elevation, 2004
Photo: Heritage Division, N.S. Dept. of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, 2004
- Built
- 1887
- Recognized
- 1995
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
Lorenzo Spencer House is a two storey wood frame building located at 20 Dominion Street in Truro, NS. The house, which has been adapted for commercial reuse, can be identified by its elaborate Victorian decoration and the Palladian window in the front gable. Both the house and surrounding grounds are included in the heritage designation.
Heritage value
Historical Value
This house is valued for its association with Lorenzo E. Spencer, one of three brothers who founded Spencer Bros. and Turner, Ltd., a sash, door and woodworking factory that was in a large wooden building originally located near this site. The factory was later moved to a location in the east end of Truro, closer to the railway line, where it operated until the mid-twentieth century. The prefabricated decorative elements that the factory produced are well-represented on the exterior of this building and many others in Truro.
Architectural Value
Architecturally, Lorenzo Spencer House is an example of the many influences that contributed to the design of most houses in this period. This house combines the simple proportions of the Greek Revival style with the massing, textures and decoration from the later Queen Anne and Stick styles. It illustrates how an earlier style was often absorbed into later styles, rather than being entirely supplanted by them.
SourcePlanning Department, Town of Truro, file 10MNS0007
Character‑defining elements
External elements that define the building’s heritage character include:
- all Late Victorian building elements, including: basic form and massing; textured shingling, stick brackets, rosettes and fascia detailing.
- all window and door elements, including: Palladian window in the front pediment; narrow sashed windows.
- all building materials, including: wood clapboard cladding and trim painted in a contrasting colour; asphalt-shingled roof.
Elements that define the site’s heritage charater include:
- placement of the house relative to the street.
End of the register’s text
Location
20 Dominion Street, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N, Canada
45.36472° N, 63.28478° W
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Nearby
All 57 places in Truro
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.