111 - 113 Main Street

STREET ADDRESS:111-113 Main Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE:Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY:Yarmouth

COUNTY:Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: 1830-1832

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

This impressive two storey Greek Revival building is constructed mainly of wood. The asymmetrical four bay facade has one centered doorway with a four paned transom above and one off-centered doorway. The medium pitched gable roof has a pedimented false gable at the front and one small chimney discreetly placed. Most of the six over six double hung windows have been boarded in but the casings are still evident. A fan window is found in the gable end. An entablature running along the facade divides the first and second stories. The building originally had four large doric pillars in front reaching from the sill to the top of the upper storey. In the roof was an open belfry which contained a small bell used in the building's days as a school The decorative cornices and frieze boards and the large dentils are still evident. The building is clad in narrow clapboards and sits on a cemented stone foundation.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

The land on which this building is situated was purchased from Thomas Goudey in 1830 by five trustees, James Bond (surgeon) Robert Kelley (Merchant), Zachariah Chipman (cordwainer), Anthony V.S. Forbes (Esquire) and Waitstill Lewis (cordwainer) for the purpose of building a school house. Within the following two years this impressive building was erected under the supervision of James B. Dane, a prominent Yarmouth architect.

The Academy was opened on September 10, 1832 with C. Wiggins as headmaster. Although classes were being taught, the school was not completely finished until the following year. An advertisement in a local paper dated September 5, 1833 calls for tenders for finishing the south entry, stair case and the room of the second storey.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

Although still situated on its original lot, this building was moved forward to the line of street in 1864. At present the building is vacant and in poor state of repair. [Restoration of building carried out in 1993/94. Registered-Provincial Heritage property 1994]

PRESENT OWNER:Town of Yarmouth

ADDRESS:400 Main Street, Yarmouth, N.S., B5A 1G2

ORIGINAL OWNER:James Bond (etal.)

OCCUPATION: Trustee

BUILDER: James B. Dane

ORIGINAL USE: School House

PRESENT USE: Apartments now offices - V.O.N.

COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

Plans and specifications were to be obtained from Mr. Ed Huestis. The building served as a school house for thirty years, until, in 1864, with the passing of a new school law the building was sold to a private owner. It was bought by John W. Moody, who moved it forward and incorporated it into what was called "Moody's Corner", (a row of stores and offices along Main and Argyle Streets). It appears from A.F. Church's map 1870 that this building was used as an Auction House at that time. In recent years the building has been owned by two local businessmen and landlords and used, for a time, as apartments. Although registered as a municipal heritage property in 1984, the building has been vacant for several years and is in desperate need of repair. During its years as a school, the Yarmouth Academy served as a prominent educational institution in Nova Scotia. This, combined with its striking architecture, warrants the Academy as a significant part of Yarmouth's heritage.

SOURCES:  Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth); Yarmouth 1821, James C. Farish (p. 24);
The Vanguard (Oct. 9, 1990) p.12A; Seasoned Timbers, The Heritage Trust of N.S., l972; Yarmouth Herald & Western Advertiser (Sept. 5, 1833)