47 Alma Street

STREET ADDRESS: 47 Alma Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth

COUNTY: Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: 1863-1870

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

Greek Revival in style, this is a one and a half storey home of mainly wood construction. The symmetrical two bay facade has an off-centered door in an enclosed porch. An entabliture is found above the portico with windows at the sides and pilasters on the corners. The medium pitched gable roof has non-return eaves and an over-hanging eaveline. The chimney is discreetly placed at the peak. The windows are six over six double hung with dog-eared labels above. Three sided bay windows are found on the East and West sides as well as on the facade. A small, six sided window, also with dog-eared label is found in the peak of the front gable. Gabled dormers project on either side of the roof. An ell containing a second chimney & an open porch, extends to the rear. The house has been covered with vinyl siding and sits on a concrete foundation.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

This property was originally part of the Henry G. Farish Estate and was left to his son, Henry G. Farish (Jr.) in 1856. Mr. Farish (Jr.) conveyed the property to Nehemiah K. Clements in 1863 at which time there appears to have been no buildings on the property. It is uncertain whether Mr. N.K. Clements resided here or not, he having owned several other properties. As shown by the A.F. Church map, the house was constructed 1870 and Charles W. Clements, a brother of N.K. Clements, was residing here. It was not until 1872, however, that the property was deeded to Charles Clements. The house has been owned since 1896 by the Harding family. Mr. W.L. Harding was a well-known merchant. He and his wife moved to Yarmouth in the 1890's and bought the I.H. Goudey's Crockery store, what is now 276 Main Street. The china shop was run by the Harding family under the name of W.L. Harding's up until the early 1980's.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

Situated on its original site on the Southeast corner of Alma and Clements Streets, this house is partially hidden from view by two large trees. A driveway and small shed are found at the rear.

PRESENT OWNER: J. Benoit/AnneMarie Robichaud

ADDRESS: 10 Highland Avenue Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 2A2

ORIGINAL OWNER: Nehemiah K. Clements

OCCUPATION: Merchant

BUILDER: Unknown

ORIGINAL OWNER: Residential

PRESENT USE: Residential

COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

Charles W. Clements, Esq. was the son of Captain Elkanah Clements the 2nd. In 1839 he married Margaret Crosby and together they had eleven children. Captain C.W. Clements is shown as a Master Mariner as well as a Merchant in the town of Yarmouth. He died at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston on July 18th, 1887 at the age of 72.

Yarmouth Reminiscences, p.571: "The homestead property of the late Capt. Charles W. Clements, corner of Alma and Clements streets, was purchased at auction by Mrs. S.F. Raymond on the 5th September, 1894, for $1900."

SOURCES: Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth) 1949 Yarmouth Directory McAlpine Directories (1890)(1895) Doane's Scrapbook of Obituaries, p.45 The Yarmouth Herald (Wed., July 20, 1887)