23 Clements Street PDF Print E-mail

STREET ADDRESS: 23 Clements Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth

COUNTY: Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: 1882-1885

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

Queen Anne Revival in style, this is a two storey house of wood construction. The symmetrical facade has an off centered doorway with bay windows above and to the side. The steeply pitched hip roof has wide eaves supported by brackets. There is one large chimney discreetly placed. The wide paned windows are trimmed below with a geometric design make of wood. The main entrance is in an enclosed porch with windows at the sides. Side lights run the length of the door. The roof of the porch is trimmed with brackets. The exterior foundation is made of brick.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

Built between 1882 and 1885 by John Robbings, a merchant, early sketches of the house (the 1889 BEV map) show a four sided tower projecting above the facade. The house has since been owned by upper class families including three physicians and several merchants.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

Situated on a slight hill and surrounded by lawns this home has been well kept and is well suited to the neighbourhood. There is a large barn to the rear of the house similar in design and probably built at the same time as the house. Early sketches of this house show a tower on the west side.

PRESENT OWNER: Carol J. / Lester Wilson

ADDRESS: RR 1 Box 1250 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 4A5

ORIGINAL OWNER: John Y. Robbins

OCCUPATION: Merchant

BUILDER: Unknown

ORIGINAL USE: Residence

PRESENT USE: Residence

HISTORY OF BUILDING
OWNER FROM: TO: OCCUPATION BOOK-PAGE
John Y. Robbins June 13 1882 June 23 1885 Merchant BH 96
Abel C. Robbins June 23 1885 July 22 1885 Shipowner/Merchant BL 928
Howard Winslow Cann (in trust) July 22 1885 Feb. 11 1901 Clerk BL 930
Adeline H. Robbins Feb. 11 1901 Jan. 22 1903 Wife of Charles Robbins (merchant) CN 26
Charles H. Hankinson Jan. 22 1903 Feb. 10 1913 Restaurant Keeper CN 39
Jacob W. Grant Feb. 10 1913 Oct. 10 1922 Merchant DB 928
Thomas A. Lebbetter Oct. 10 1922 Dec. 15 1927 Physician DQ 605
Florence Stella Lebbetter Dec. 15 1927 Apr. 7 1942 Wife of Thomas Lebbetter EB 513
Willard C. O'Brien Apr. 7 1942 Apr. 23 1963 Physician ER 864
Milton O'brien Apr. 23 1863 Dec. 4 1981 Physician GG 501
Samuel C. Hood Dec. 4 1981 Dec. 12 1983 N/A NF 693
Philip Martin Dec. 12 1983 Oct. 15 1986 N/A OD 119
Constantine Kollitus Oct. 15 1986 Mar. 5 1995 Entrepreneur 421/575
Carol J./Lester Wilson Mar.5 1995 N/A Restaurant owner 552/630
R. Anne/Larry G. Sweeney Aug. 9 1999 present N/A 586/187

COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

Dr. Willard C. O'Brian was born in Noel, Hants Country, the son of Milton and Alice (Crowe) O'Brian. He was a medical doctor in Yarmouth and Wedgeport for 60 years (1919-1979). He was Mayor of Wedgeport from 1936-1942 and was a member in the provincial legislature from 1956 to 1963. A very highly respected citizen in Yarmouth County, he received an honourary doctorate degree in humanities from Ste. Anne's University in 1980.

SOURCES: Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth) Yarmouth Directories The Vanguard (Nov. 11, 1981)