83 King Street

Bylaw: (1994)-14753

Legal description: Lot 20-22, Pt Lots 19, 23, 24, 27, 28 and 29, Plan 127

Designated portions

The designation includes:

  • The entire exterior brick walls of the building;
  • The roofline over the portions of the building constructed of brick and the roofline over the porch;
  • The five brick chimneys;
  • The bracketed eaves at the roofline;
  • All exterior decorative woodwork including the porch, the canopy over the main entrance and the woodwork associated with the front bay windows;
  • All original window and door openings including the stone window lintels and sills and the stone door lintel at the main entrance.;
  • All original windows;
  • The main entrance door frame including the leaded glass transom
  • Inside, the main hall door including the leaded glass panel and the hall door frame including the stained glass transom and sidelights;
  • The plaster ceiling medallions and the crown mouldings on the main floor of the building;
  • The marble and wood fireplace in the living room
  • All original wood baseboard and wood trim inside the building;
  • The oversized entry doors into each dwelling unit inside the building and the interior doors separating the living room and dining room including the etched glass panels;
  • The complete curved staircase inside the building.

Property history

This large yellow brick dwelling was constructed in 1875 for local hardware merchant John M. Bond. Designed by architect Victor Stewart and built by Frederick J. Chubb, the building is situated on an impressive site, overlooking the downtown core. It is well-proportioned in design and features two bay windows on the first floor, framing the main entrance, which is highlighted by a transom and decorative canopy. The roof is enhanced by the projecting eaves supported by brackets and four matching yellow brick chimneys. Much of the building’s exterior woodwork is still intact, including the decorative porch on the east side. The interior of the house features ornate plaster ceiling medallions and crown mouldings and original wood trim.

A native of Queen’s County, Ireland, John M. Bond came to Guelph in 1866 and opened up the John M. Bond & Co. Hardware store. Located at the corner of Wyndham and Cork Streets, the business soon became the largest hardware store in the district. Bond was one of the best known among Guelph merchants of his time, and was director of both the Guelph and Ontario Investment and Savings society and the Guelph General Hospital. Following his death in 1906, the house remained occupied by his family until it was sold in 1929 to the next long-time owner, contractor George F. Crawley, who divided the house into five apartment units. The owner at the time of the building’s designation, Raoul Walker, is responsible for restoring many of the original details of the house.

The designation covers the entire exterior brick walls of the building, the roofline, including the five brick chimneys and bracketed eaves, and all exterior decorative woodwork including the porch, the canopy over the main entrance and the woodwork associated with the front bay windows. All original window and door openings are designated, including all original window, the stone window lintels and sills and the main entrance door frame with its leaded glass ransom. Inside, the designation covers the main hall door with its leaded glass panel, the hall door frame including the stained glass transom and sidelights, the plaster ceiling medallions and crown mouldings throughout the main floor of the dwelling, the marble and wood living room fireplace, all original wood baseboard and wood trim, the oversized entry doors into each dwelling unit and the doors separating the living room and dining room with their etched glass panels. The complete staircase is also included in the designation.