Description
Simms House is a two-and-a-half storey, mansard roofed residential structure built in the late 19th century. It is situated on Pleasant Street in the west-end area of St. John’s, NL, once known as Lazy Bank. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
Simms House was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2017 due to its historic and aesthetic value. Simms House has historic value due to its association with the cooperage trade and St. John’s formerly industrial west end. The home was built in 1882 for draper George Taylor and sold to cooper Henry V. Simms in 1902. Simms ran a successful trade out of a shop once located behind the home and, by the time he died in 1947, owned several properties in the area. Simms played an active in his community, serving as Vice President of the Master Coopers’ Association and an organizer of the local prohibition movement. His interest in prohibition may have been influenced by his neighbourhood, Lazy Bank, which generated reports of public intoxication and unsanitary conditions around the turn of the century. Coopers were the largest contingent of manufacturing tradespeople in St. John’s in the late 1800s and Simms’ shop would have been representative of mid-sized operations. It would have contrasted with several large cooperages owned by local merchants who sought control over both their product and its package. Simms’ home reflects the status of successful coopers in his time. Henry’s son William Simms inherited Simms House in 1947 and also worked as a cooper. Simms House has aesthetic value as an excellent example of an early middle-class home in urban St. John’s. Fully detached with a front garden, it is the largest and most imposing home on its stretch of Pleasant Street. Simms House’s mansard roof and dormer associate it with the “Southcott Style,” known more broadly as Second Empire, popularized locally by the Southcott architectural firm at the time of its construction. Its two tall, south-facing bays extend from grade to eave, allowing a great deal of light even into the full-height basement. The home is part of a row of houses set back from the road, another signal of the status of its owners. Its height and south-facing orientation offer a commanding view of the harbour and city. Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “St. John’s – Simms House, FPT 5261”
Character Defining Elements
All original features which relate to the age and style, including: -number of storeys; -mansard roof with central dormer; -double, bonneted bays that extend from foundation to eave; -narrow wood clapboard; -wood cornerboards and trim; -wood 2/2 windows; -stone foundation; – size, style, trim, and placement of wood windows; – size, style, trim, and placement of wood doors; -location of building in relation to the street and neighbouring structures; -dimensions and orientation of building.
Location and History
Community
St. John's
Municipality
City of St. John's
Civic Address
90 Pleasant Street
Construction (circa)
19700101 - 20180112
Location
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