40 Alma Street PDF Print E-mail

40-42-Alma-StreetSTREET ADDRESS: 40 Alma Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth

COUNTY: Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: 1891-1895

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

Queen Anne Revival in style, this is a two storey building of wood construction. It has a steeply pitched, truncated hip roof with wide eaves. The symmetrical five bay facade which originally contained two doorways now has three. The windows, which are large paned,are trimmed mostly with narrow casings and labels . Two storey bay windows are found on either side of the building, these are trimmed with elaborately textured woodwork and decorative brackets. There is a two storey push out on either side of the facade, these are topped by false gables with return eaves. The square tower to the west has a truncated bell cast peak and four gabled dormer windows. A matching tower is found on the east side but it has lots its peak. The house is clad in narrow wooden clapboards and the exterior foundation is of brick.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

In 1891 Ebenezer Erskine Archibald purchased the property from Thomas W. Stoneman for $750.00. Archibald who was a farmer from Wolfville apparently had this large, double house built between 1891 and 1895 when he is listed on the Yarmouth directory. At this time Archibald was working for "Blacadar and Co." and residing in the west side of the house while Alvin Spinney, a truckman, lived in east side. Apparently by 1949 the house had been converted into four apartments for the directory of that year lists the following: Alma Street (40) R.H. Thompson, Asst. Accot. Royal Bank (40 and one half) J.A. Doucette (Jerry A.) Mgr. Singer Sewing Machine - (42) R.A. Russell, Empl. Bank of N.S. - (42 and one half) K. R. Scott - Asst. Acct. Bank of N.S.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

This rather imposing building is located on a slight hill surrounded by large trees. A large barn which appears similar in age to the house is found at the rear.

PRESENT OWNER: Benoit and Ann Robichaud

ADDRESS: 10 Highland Ave. Yarmouth, N.S. B5A 2A2

ORIGINAL OWNER: Ebenezer A. Archibald

OCCUPATION: Farmer

BUILDER: Unknown

ORIGINAL USE: Residential (double house)

PRESENT USE: Residential (four apartments)

HISTORY OF BUILDINGS
OWNER FROM: TO: OCCUPATION BOOK-PAGE
Ebenezer E. Archibald Oct. 8 1891 Sept. 1 1915 Farmer BU 573
Thomas S. Seeley Sept. 1 1915 Dec. 7 1925 Colonel DG 248
Joanna A. Seeley Dec. 7 1925 Sept. 14 1932 Married woman DV 895
Mary Seeley Watson Sept. 14 1932 Oct. 6 1945 Widow Will #5144
Catherine G. Porter Oct. 6 1945 Mar. 1 1977 N/A EW 34
Caesar A. Gaudet Mar. 1 1977 Feb. 16 1978 N/A KS 6
John C. Taylor Feb. 16 1978 Aug. 20 1979 N/A LH 386
J.M. Construction Ltd. Aug. 20 1979 Nov. 28 1980 N/A MB 846
Vance G. Mullen and Earl J. Robicheau Nov. 28 1980 June 29 1988 N/A MR 497
Helen E. Nickerson June 29 1988 May 29 1990 N/A 455/32
Benoit and Ann Marie Robichaud May 29 1990 Present optometrist / receptionist 474/207

COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

Joanna Seeley was the wife of Col. Thomas Seeley and Mary Seeley Watson was her sole heir, a widowed woman living in Washington at the time.

SOURCES: Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth) McAlpine directories (1890)(1895) Yarmouth Directory (1949)