STREET ADDRESS: 12 Parade Street
CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth
MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth
COUNTY: Yarmouth
YEAR BUILT: circa 1874
ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:
2 storey Italianate style with centered back ell and a 1 storey addition on ell; open porches on each side of ell. Low pitched hip roof has paired 1/3 inset chimneys on main roof and a central chimney in ell. The symmetrical 3 bay facade has a centered entrance with paired doors, segmental arch transom and a heavy bracketed hood; 1 storey, 5-sided bay windows have round-headed upper sashes. Most windows have double hung sashes and 1/1 glazing; windows on east and west sides of first storey are tripartite, and second story windows are paired; windows in ell have 2/2 glazing. Wood construction, clad with narrow clapboard; various trim details include corner pilasters with capitals, heavy bracketed crowns over windows, paired brackets in cornices, "portholes" in frieze, and several styles of decorative moldings at windows, doors and on corners.
HISTORICAL COMMENT:
Probably built around 1874. This house was built as a wedding gift for Mary Ellen Lovitt and George Hutchinson Guest, who was later to become High Sheriff of Yarmouth County. Mary Ellen Lovitt was the daughter of shipowner John W.Lovitt, and sister of Capt. John Lovitt, who later became a Member of Parliament.
CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:
North side of Parade Street, fourth house east of Main Street. Pagoda-like cupola removed, otherwise unchanged.
PRESENT OWNER: Bruce W. & Twyla L. Rogers
ADDRESS: 12 Parade Street Yarmouth, N.S. B5A 3A4
ORIGINAL OWNER: John Walker Lovitt
OCCUPATION: Master Mariner/Shipowner
BUILDER: Unknown
ORIGINAL USE: Single family dwelling
PRESENT USE: Dwelling/medical office
| HISTORY OF BUILDING | ||||
| OWNER | FROM: | TO: | OCCUPATION | BOOK-PAGE |
| John W. Lovitt | 04 Mar. 1861 | 01 Jan. 1876 | Merchant | AL 82 |
| George H./Mary Ellen Guest | 01 Jan. 1876 | 18 Jan. 1923 | High Sheriff | AY 689 |
| Alfred R. Guest, et al | 18 Jan. 1923 | 08 Dec. 1924 | Dep. Postmaster/Heirs of G.H. & M.E. Guest | Estate # 2111 |
| Elizabeth E. Hazen | 08 Dec. 1924 | 15 Jan. 1925 | Married Woman | DV 100 |
| Andrew Kirk | 15 Jan. 1925 | 01 Dec. 1927 | Carpenter | DV 127 |
| Eric H. Spinney | 01 Dec. 1927 | 01 Jun. 1954 | Manager | DY 424 |
| J. Alexander Webster | 01 Jun. 1954 | 28 Apr. 1993 | Physician | FM 645 |
| Andre Haines/Gregory Watters | 28 Apr. 1993 | 31 Oct. 1997 | Musicians | 509 306 |
| Craig & Susan Paisley | 31 Oct. 1997 | 14 Sept. 1999 | Reporter | 560 1052 |
| Bruce W. & Twyla L. Rogers | 14 Sept. 1999 | Present | Heavy Equipment Operator | 587 333 |
COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:
From Atlantic Hearth, p.154; "George Guest's (and Elizabeth Lovitt's) father, Robert Guest, had been a merchant in St. John's Newfoundland, but left there in 1827 to seek his fortune in Yarmouth, where he soon became involved in the town's shipping industry. George, born there in 1849, and educated at the Yarmouth Academy, was also involved in shipping, as a shipowner and in the marine insurance business. As well, he had good political connections, not only by marriage but through his mother's family, who had been in Yarmouth since the town's earliest days. Guest's maternal great grandfather, Norman Utley, had represented Yarmouth in the provincial legislature from 1800 to 1806. When the position of High Sheriff came vacant in 1887, George Guest's family connections added weight to the influence already exerted by his brother-in-law John Lovitt, next door." From 1927 until 1954, the property was owned by E.H. Spinney, another prominent businessman. He was head of the firm E.K. Spinney (hardware dealers) and later, a member of the N.S. Legislature.
SOURCES: Registry of Deeds/Probate; Vanguard, April 14, 1971; Atlantic Hearth, Byers & McBurney, 1994; Yarmouth (souvenir book) 1918; Yarmouth Directories, 1890, 1895; McAlpines N.S. Directory, 1907-08