143 - 153 St. Paul Crescent - Notice of Intention to Designate the Property

In the matter of the Ontario Heritage Act R.S.O. 1990, Chapter O.18 and in the matter of the land and premises located at 143 - 153 St. Paul Crescent, City of St. Catharines, province of Ontario, take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of St. Catharines intends to designate the property at 143 - 153 St. Paul Crescent, legally known as Lots 2169, 2170, and 2171, Corporation Plan 2, St. Catharines under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter O.18 as amended, as a property of cultural heritage value or interest.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION

DESCRIPTION

The buildings at 143 -153 St. Paul Crescent form a contiguous row of late 19th-century commercial block buildings located at the intersection of St. Paul Crescent and Pelham Road, within the Western Hill neighbourhood of St. Catharines. The block includes the Neptune Fire Hall, the Voisard Block, and the McGuire-Voisard building, each reflecting modest Italianate vernacular architecture with distinctive decorative brickwork, arched windows, and cornice details. Together, this property forms a prominent and visually cohesive streetscape at a key corner site.

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE OR INTEREST

The property at 143 - 153 St. Paul Crescent holds cultural heritage value or interest under Ontario Regulation 9/06 for its design/physical value, historical/associative value, and contextual value.

Design/Physical Value

Neptune Fire Hall

The Neptune Fire Hall is a rare surviving example of a Victorian-era fire hall in St. Catharines, constructed circa 1881-1882. The building exhibits restrained Italianate influences, including decorative brickwork, segmentally arched window openings, and a modest projecting cornice with paired brackets and dentils. Despite some side and rear alterations, the building retains its original form, fenestration, and detailing, making it a significant local example of civic architecture of the period.

Voisard Block

The Voisard Block is a representative example of late 19th-century vernacular commercial block architecture with Italianate elements, including arched window recesses, bracketed cornice, and a symmetrical façade composition. The upper storey retains a high degree of integrity, preserving original brickwork, fenestration, and cornice details, despite storefront alterations at grade.

McGuire-Voisard Building

The McGuire-Voisard Building is distinguished by its front façade which is aligned with the original curve of the street and provides a visual anchor at the intersection of St. Paul Crescent and Pelham Road. The building features Italianate architectural detailing, with a prominent cornice, arched window recesses, and decorative brickwork. The upper storey retains original materials and proportions, conveying its commercial character and integrity.

Historical/Associative Value

Neptune Fire Hall

The Neptune Fire Hall is historically associated with the Neptune Hose Co. No. 3, which was first organized in 1877 and disbanded in 1920, and reflects the early development of municipal services in the Western Hill neighbourhood. As the only remaining Victorian-era fire hall in St. Catharines, and one of few comparable examples in Ontario, it holds significant historical value tied to the City's civic development.

Voisard Block

The Voisard Block is historically associated with Benjamin D. Voisard, a prominent local grocer and carpenter, who established B.D. Voisard & Sons grocery at this location in the 1880s. The business, which included grocery, coal, and general merchandise sales, served the Western Hill community for over three decades. The building reflects the area's evolution as a mixed-use commercial corridor and stands as a testament to the Voisard family's contribution to the local economy and community life.

McGuire-Voisard Building

Originally built by Michael McGuire and later owned by the Voisard family, the building reflects the evolution of the site as a key commercial node. Its history includes associations with key local merchants and civic leaders, contributing to the broader understanding of Western Hill’s commercial, residential, and social development.

Contextual Value

Neptune Fire Hall

Situated at the intersection of St. Paul Crescent and Pelham Road, the Neptune Fire Hall occupies a highly visible lot, reinforcing its landmark status in the Western Hill neighbourhood. The building’s form, scale, and distinctive architectural detailing contribute to the area’s historic character, while its civic function historically anchored the community’s sense of place and safety.

Voisard Block

The Voisard Block contributes to the cohesive streetscape of late 19th-century commercial buildings that define the historic core of Western Hill. The building’s massing, materials, and detailing reinforce the block’s historic commercial character and support the area’s enduring identity as a neighbourhood centre for commerce and services.

McGuire-Voisard Building

Occupying a corner lot with a distinctive façade, the McGuire-Voisard Building serves as a visual anchor at a key intersection. Its prominent location, historic commercial uses, and architectural form contribute to the continuity and integrity of the Western Hill streetscape, making it a significant part of the neighbourhood’s historic built environment.

DESCRIPTION OF HERITAGE ATTRIBUTES

Key heritage attributes that reflect the property’s cultural heritage value include:

Neptune Fire Hall

• Two-storey, flat-roofed form and original massing
• Symmetrical three-bay front façade with recessed brick panels
• Central segmentally arched opening at grade
• Flanking tall, narrow, segmentally arched windows
• Paired double-hung sash windows within tall blind arches on the second storey
• Cut stone windowsills
• Cut stone keystones
• Central circular opening within roofline
• Roofline, including the central arched parapet, flanked by the projecting cornices with paired brackets and dentils
• Central circular opening within roofline
• Red-orange brick construction material
• Prominent siting flush to the sidewalk
• Stone foundation

Voisard Block

• Two-storey, flat-roofed, red-brick form and original massing
• Symmetrical primary façade with arched brick window recesses
• Double-hung wood sash windows with painted surrounds
• Overhanging wood cornice with paired brackets and dentils.
• Cut stone windowsills
• Cut stone keystones
• Intact upper-storey brickwork and window openings
• Building’s alignment flush to the sidewalk
• Stone foundation
• Two-storey, side-gabled, red-brick form and original massing
• Corner façade transitioning between street frontages, following 19th century street alignment
• Regular rhythm of front elevation second-storey windows set within arched brick recesses
• Front and side elevation window openings
• Segmental brick arches over front elevation window openings, with projecting hood moulds
• Overhanging wood cornice with paired brackets and dentils
• Central window within the bay at the second storey
• Surviving original brickwork and window proportions at the upper storey
• Building’s prominent corner lot siting and continuous streetwall presence
• Remaining firewall between two structures.
• Brick chimney
• Cut stone windowsills
• Cut stone keystones
• Stone foundation

McGuire-Voisard Building

For additional information, please contact Lauren Walker, Heritage Planner, at lwalker@stcatharines.ca or (905)-980-6593. Any person may, within thirty (30) days after the date of this publication, September 16th, 2025, which is October 16th, 2025, serve written notice of objection to the proposed designation with the City Clerk, setting out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts.