52 Macdonell Street

Regent Hotel

Bylaw: (1984)-11595

Legal description: Pt Lot 109, Plan 8, together with and subject to ROW

Designated portions

Included in the designation is the street façade, the mansard, the complete east wall (facing lane) and the exposed portion of the west wall (above roof of No. 44-46). The infill design between original first floor stone structural elements is not designated.

Property history

Built of local limestone in 1883 as the Commercial Hotel on site of earlier frame Bay Horse (Reinhart’s) Hotel. Designed by John Day for John Hogg, it was operated by Christian Reinhart. A serious fire in 1887 caused reconstruction for Reinhart and Timothy O’Connor, then owners. Owned by Reinhart family until mid-30’s, then La Fontaine family until late 1960’s. The façade was refurbished in 1975 and the first floor received a new exterior treatment in 1979.

Features steep mansardic roof, around a central fourth-storey pavilion, clad in original patterned slate and topped by cast-iron filigree cresting. Façade has dressed stone around windows and doors and dressed corner quoins, with contrasting random pattern elsewhere. It is prominent in framing the Macdonell Street views.