County heritage

Historic Stephen Niles house receives heritage grant

The Prince Edward Heritage Advisory Committee has presented a heritage grant to Leigh Moore and Wendy Daxon for work on the exterior rehabilitation of the Stephen Niles House, located at Niles Corners on Danforth Road in Hillier. The Heritage Grant program was established in 2018 to make a commitment to progressive heritage conservation policies that promote the historic character of Prince Edward County.

The Niles House, which was built in or around 1820, was designated as a heritage property in 1986. Leigh believes that a structure of some sort was on the property earlier than 1820. “It might even be a little earlier than that,” says Leigh. “It’s possible that the rear section of the house, which holds the cooking facility, might have been built as early as 1816. We know that the property was an improved property Loyalist grant, so there was a structure on here by 1808, but we aren’t sure if it was this structure.”

He backs up the statement by explaining that Niles came from a wealthy background. “We know that Stephen Niles had means. He was listed on the sale as gentleman, so he had money. He didn’t necessarily have to homestead. He probably started construction fairly early.” After building the home, Niles became the first president of the Prince Edward County Agricultural Society and was also a prominent Quaker. He was also one of the earliest appointed magistrates for Hiller. Niles Corners confirms his influence and prominence in the area. His descendant, W.P. Niles, is well known in the Wellington area as an entrepreneur in the canning industry, Wellington Electric Company and was once the homeowner of the present day Drake Devonshire.

Just beyond the front entrance of the home is a vaulted curved hallway with period trim and moulding. According to Hillier councillor and Heritage Advisory Committee member Ernie Margetson, the feature is rather rare. “This was a defining feature of this house and I don’t think you will see it very often,” says Margetson. He points to a piece of original detailed moulding surrounding the entryway. “It would have been difficult to create this trim in 1820,” says Margetson.

It is easy to see that Leigh and Wendy are passionate about the home. They even live the lifestyle. Leigh jokes that they were born 200 years too late. Wendy recalls the ice storm in 2013, and laughs about how self-sufficient the house was. “When we had the ice storm, we had no power for a few days, we lit the two fireplaces and we were warm and were able to cook.” The couple still frequently uses the cooking hearth and bake oven located on the north wall of the home. “We hearth cook all the time. Later today we will be doing our turkey dinner on the hearth,” says Wendy.

Margetson says that the significance of the property is more than just the building that sits on it “We recognize the architectural heritage of this building, but there is also the association with the Niles family,” says Margetson. He also says that with the house sitting on Danforth Road, which is celebrating its 220th anniversary this year, is a nice connection. “Having this house sit on a provincially significant heritage highway is important as well,” says Margetson.

Leigh and Wendy applied for the grant a year ago, shortly after the program was introduced. They then completed the work in the summer, and had to have it approved by the committee in order to receive the grant. The work was focused on the exterior restoration of the home. There was a fair bit of rot in the sill plates and exterior mouldings. The boards on the drive shed also had to be replaced. The entire home was then scraped and painted.

“I call it preservation and restoration of the building fabric,” says Margetson. “First they replaced any elements that need to be replaced. Then it can be preserved by scraping it, priming it and painting it again. It is preventative maintenance.”

Margetson explains that properties designated under the Ontario Heritage Act are also eligible for the grant program. This includes individually designated properties and contributing properties within the Picton Heritage Conservation District. “Through the Heritage Property Grant Program, we are encouraging property owners to take the initiative and conserve or enhance the character-defining elements of their designated heritage properties,” says Margetson. “Priority is given to projects that conserve and restore elements of the property’s historical attributes, such as the grant for the conservation and restoration of the building fabric of the Niles House.”

Leigh and Wendy have owned the home for 28 years and don’t intend on leaving any time soon. They are both passionate about preserving the history of the property. When asked about what’s next for the home, Wendy smiles as she looks at the exposed beams in the dining room. “It deserves to be looked after and passed on.”

For more information on how to apply for a heritage grant, visit the County’s website at thecounty.ca and search for heritage grant.