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12-parade-streetSTREET 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