Author: rob.blazik

Awesome pic of the house by our equally awesome friend Jennifer McCready over at Lady Luck Photography Studio. Definitely would recommend checking her site and Facebook account out 🙂

So the air conditioning has been installed, and the carriage house has been sided. The air conditioning is playing out like we hoped it would not, that being because it’s a house built long before central air conditioning and the existing heating only went to one room upstairs (two more room vents were added after the fact). The bottom floor is great, top floor, not so much. Of course in addition to that, the upstairs windows are either screwed, painted, or puttied shut. So we are going to have to try to figure that out, without destroying the windows.

Carriage house went much better, the company we used (Quality Exteriors) did a really great job battling squirrels and sealing those structures off from aforementioned squatters. They took their time in installing and more importantly doing it properly, honestly made me really happy to see installers that cared about making sure the little details were done correctly instead of rushing/half-assing things. It definitely wasn’t easy for them with the weird corners.  I still have to clean, stain and seal the doors, once I get that done I’ll post some before and after shots.

Today begins the driveway install, thought I would throw up the driveway before picture now, and the after picture in about a weeks time once it’s done. We ended up choosing and exposed aggregate concrete driveway, it’s more expensive but at the same time, I think it will suit the house more than stamped concrete or asphalt. Pavers would have been nice, but with the size of the driveway(s) the cost was prohibitive. Looking forward to what our contractors for this project Steele Contracting can do! So with that, here’s the before shot, until next time.

I guess as good a place to start as any is the heritage designation of the home. The bylaw passed designating the home as a heritage building includes some of the history of the home, I’ll include a passage of from it here as well as the complete document below, but we will expand on the history of the home in more detail down the road.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The Morin/Cutler House’s cultural heritage value lies in it being a rare and representative example of the few Second Empire style houses built in Fort Erie which still survives, displaying excellence and uniqueness in its design, as well as a high degree of craftsmanship. It is a very early example of brick veneer over wood frame construction. The Second Empire style is demonstrated by the mansard roof pierced by many decorative dormers with arch topped windows. The house was originally crowned by a tower with a four sided bell cast roof and three dormers, one on each fa9ade except the back. The first floor windows are arched topped, the brick work is two toned – buff and red. The porch is large and “L” shaped, with a curved corner mirrored by a curved roof line and curved stairs. The woodwork is very ornate, and the large pieces of glass in 1/1 windows in the front portion of the house were very rare for the area.

The Morin/Cutler House’s cultural heritage value also lies in its association with Lt. Col. James Morin and Eber Cutler, who were both significant to the community. James Morin purchased the land upon which this house was constructed as well as the land on the north side of it from the Methodists, in order to fund the building of their church. Eber Cutler, who also built “Roselawn” at 322 King Street in Port Colborne, was the largest builder in the area at the time, and the owner of a saw mill and dry goods store, built the house for James Morin. Morin was his senior manager, and had been with Cutler since apprenticing as a carpenter. Together, they also built the house next door on the north side, at 356 Ridge Road North. James Morin later became a Lt. Col. in the army, and a M.P.P. in the 5th and 6th legislatures.

This house was important in establishing and maintaining the dominant Victorian character of the area. Along with 356 Ridge Road North, and the church at 366 Ridge Road North, they are linked together historically and as a streetscape, continuing to represent the unique vision of Ridgeway.