Name/Title
Canterbury Cottage - 129 Main Street WestContext
"Canterbury Cottage" is Regency style cottage that dates to the mid 1850's, owned by Catherine Bingle Porter, step-daughter of Robert Nelles, who resided there with her daughter Maria.
This home was designated as a Heritage Property by the Town of Grimsby in 2023.
Regency style originated in England in the early 1800's and spread to Ontario with the American colonists who supported the British cause during the American Revolution and retired military men from Britain and the colonies who settled here with their families.
The name comes from the period when Prince George IV was ruling in place of his sick father, King George Ill, and acted as "Regent". Regency style homes are generally modest one-story homes with a low-pitched hip roof and a symmetrical front facade. Regency society admired the country which fits with this home as it is set against the Niagara Escarpment with many large windows looking out to the forest and surrounding gardens.
Canterbury Cottage is located at the base of the escarpment along a former historic indigenous trail. The property is noted for a large catalpa tree whose massive lower branches hang low over the front lawn. The tree is rumored to have been altered by indigenous peoples as a trail marker in a “U” shape. The proximity to the base of the escarpment, Forty Mile Creek and the early escarpment trail routes to deposits of chert and south to the Grand River, help solidify these assumptions.
Other occupants of this home have included well-known Grimsby historian and author Ruby Janet Powell [1933 - 1953], former Grimsby Mayor Gray Willson, and Fran Farewell of the former Grimsby business Farewell Realty.
The residents who have lived in this home have been great stewards of the property, maintaining the cottage's style and charm, beautiful gardens and famous catalpa tree.Collection
GHSLocation
* Untyped Location
Digital Photo Library