228 Montague Street - Parr Division
Built circa 1874, The Chase House is a wooden, two-storey, Greek Revival residence with a front-facing gable-end plan and off-centred entranceway. It is located on the northwest corner of Montague and Frederick streets in Saint Andrews. The Chase House is designated a Local and Provincial Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with Leonard Chase.
The Chase House is recognized for being a good example of Greek Revival residential architecture. The style is characterized by large eave returns, entranceway portico and large pilaster corner boards. The prominent gable facing the principle approach to the building exhibits an off-centre entry and demonstrates the moderate pitch of the roof. The wide pilaster corner boards and large eaves with paired brackets, an Italianate influence, give this property an outstanding character.
The Chase House is also recognized for its association with Leonard Chase, for whom this residence was built circa 1874. Mr. Chase was engaged in farming in early life and did well, living a life of comparable ease. For many years, Mr. Chase was a Saint Andrews constable and he assisted in many important arrests. Upon his death, it was stated that for 50 years no court was ever opened in the Charlotte County Courthouse, one block from this home, at which Mr. Chase was not in attendance as an officer. From 1883 until his death in 1910 he held the position of deputy sheriff. Mr. Chase left the property to his daughter, Annie Laura Chase, who remained here until her death in 1951. The property remained in the Chase family until 1965.
The main house has seen enhancements made over it's history. In the early 1900s, an addition to the side of the house added a summer kitchen along with additional space for staff in an upper attic, including a separate staff entrance. This allowed staff to discretely enter the home through a private entrance to service the needs of the residents at the time. At this same time, a large fenced-in stable yard with a grand entrance was built off of Frederick Street for carriages and horses to be held. In the mid-1900s, a small garage was added beside the summer kitchen to accommodate automobiles. Over the coming decades, the fence and carriage gates deteriorated and were removed. The addition of the summer kitchen also fell into neglect, while the original main structure became the primary residence and to this day, is well-preserved.
In 2021, new owners with the assistance of Harbour Town Builders began a significant restoration effort to expand and preserve The Chase House. Mass over-grown cedar trees which had kept the property hidden from the street were removed. The side summer kitchen and garage, which had fallen into disrepair, were demolished and rebuilt to accommodate a new 2-story addition keeping the original heritage defining elements of the main house and respecting the footprint of the summer kitchen annex. Further, the fence and carriage gates were painstakingly researched and recreated, including the reconstruction of the original swing doors once used for horses and carriages off of Frederick Street. The heritage defining elements of the original house, including the narrow clapboard siding, large gable eave returns, wide-pilaster corner boards, and corbels were all incorporated into the design of the extension to represent a seamless addition, at scale. In total, local craftsmen built 60 corbels, 100 pediments, and interior railing balusters to seamlessly integrate the new addition to match the exterior and interior heritage defining elements of the original home.
Completed in 2023, after two years of research and construction, the restoration project was completed in time for The Chase House's 150th birthday in 2024.
The character-defining elements of the Chase Residence include:
- two-storey gable-end plan with off-centre entry;
- moderately-pitched gable roof;
- gable eaves decorated with paired brackets;
- large gable eave returns supported by paired brackets;
- wide pilaster corner boards;
- narrow wood clapboard siding;
- simple flat window entablatures;
- portico with paired wooden doors with glass panels and sidelights;
- recessed panels in lower section of doors and sidelights;
- large entablature with spacious frieze above the entry;
- rectangular 6/6 wood framed windows.
Architectural Style: Greek Revival
Source: Charlotte County Archives, Old Gaol - St. Andrews Historic Places File, "Chase Residence"