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45-Alma-StreetSTREET ADDRESS: 45 Alma Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth

COUNTY: Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: circa 1887

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

Italianate in style, this is a two storey home of wood construction. The symmetrical two bay facade has an off-centered doorway. The low pitched hip roof has wide eaves supported by decorative brackets and one chimney, discreetly placed. The wide paned windows are two over two double hung with wide casings. The lower floor windows are trimmed with heavy entablitures and decorative brackets. There are two storey bay windows on both sides of the building. There is a gable roof ell to the rear, this contains one shed roof dormer with two windows. A matching shed is attached to the west of the ell and an enclosed porch to the east. The building is clad in narrow wooden clapboards and trimmed with wide, contrasting cornerboards.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

In 1879 Prince Durkee purchased this lot of land from Robert S. Eakins, a merchant for $525.00. In 1887 Durkee took out a mortgage with the Board of the Presbyterian College Halifax for $1,600.00. It is believed that he was building this house at that time. In 1888 Durkee sold the property to Huram Chute for $900.00 and the $1,600.00 mortgage, at this time Durkee was residing in San Diego.

Hiram Chute was a co-partner in Chute, Hall and Company. This company, located on Water Street immediately south of the Marine Railway, manufactured Church and Parlor cabinet organs. The actions for these instruments were also manufactured on the premises.

Mr. Chute had been employed with five different organ builders in the United States and later with the Annapolis Organ Co. before moving to Yarmouth.

In 1893 the co-partnership was dissolved and reopened under the name H.E. Chute and Co.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

Situated at the corner of two streets, a lane runs along the west side of the property and small shrubs and a hedge surround the grounds. As in many homes in Yarmouth this house has lost its original cupola which is clearly pictured on Currie's B.E.V. Map (1889)

PRESENT OWNER: Kenneth Wheelans

ADDRESS: P.O. box 701 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 4K3

ORIGINAL OWNER: Prince H. Durkee

OCCUPATION: Clerk

BUILDER: Unknown

ORIGINAL USE: Residential (single family)

PRESENT USE: Residential (single family)

HISTORY OF BUILDING
OWNER FROM: TO: OCCUPATION BOOK-PAGE
Prince H. Durkee Nov. 1 1879 Nov. 10 1888 Clerk BF 49
Hiram E. Chute Nov. 10 1888 Apr. 13 1894 Merchant BQ 514
Ann S. Hatfield Apr. 13 1894 N/A N/A BY 155
W. Fred Hatfield & Marion B. Tooker N/A July 25 1945 N/A N/A
George L. Publicover July 25 1945 June 1946 Retired ET 636
H.H. Wetmore June 1946 Aug. 7 1947 N/A EV 554
Joseph E. Steadman Aug. 7 1947 Aug. 12 1948 N/A EX 179
Roy Avard Carroll Aug. 12 1948 Feb. 28 1953 N/A EZ 261
C.L. Girvan Feb. 28 1953 Sept. 7 1955 N/A FK 241
Nina M. Slade Sept. 7 1955 Dec. 3 1964 Married Woman FO 241
Herbert Margolian Dec. 3 1964 Sept. 3 1968 Merchant GI 683
Herbert & Elizabeth Margolian Sept. 3 1968 Oct. 1 1969 N/A GZ 1
Rufus Earl Ettinger Oct. 1 1969 Jan. 20 1982 Air Canada employee HE 497
Michael John Kendrick Jan. 20 1982 July 3 1987 N/A NG 299
Robert L. Copeland July 3 1987 Nov. 14 1988 N/A 430/532
Kenneth/Simone Wheelans Nov. 14 1988 June 29 1995 Stock broker 451/867
John D./Janet L. Nause June 29 1995 Feb. 11 1998 Teacher/accountant 532/979
Kenneth Wheelans Feb. 11 1998 Present Stock broker 564/266

SOURCES: The Yarmouth Herald (July 9, 1883) Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth) McAlpine directory (1890)(1895) Yarmouth directory 1949 Yar. Co. Industrial file (Yarmouth Museum)