Back to SearchDescription of Property
The property at 7 Thomas Street is located on the west side of Thomas Street, north of Welland Avenue, within a mature residential neighbourhood developed as part of the Thomas Adams Estate Plan (City Plan 53). The dwelling is a two-storey, wood-clad Edwardian house constructed circa 1911, displaying Classical Revival detailing. It occupies a rectangular lot within a consistent early twentieth-century residential streetscape characterized by generous setbacks, mature trees, and period architecture. The property at 7 Thomas Street is of cultural heritage value or interest for its design/physical, historical/associative, and contextual values, as prescribed by Ontario Regulation 9/06.
Design/Physical Value
7 Thomas Street is a well-preserved example of an Edwardian domestic dwelling with Classical Revival influences, typical of early twentieth-century residential design in St. Catharines. The house features a broad hipped roof with a front cross-gable projection, boxed eaves on sawn rafter tails, and horizontal clapboard siding defined by prominent cornerboards and wide window architraves that read as a simplified entablature. Its most striking feature is the full-width wrap-around verandah supported by square Classical posts and detailed with a traditional balustrade and open lattice skirting. The verandah, in combination with the front-gabled bay and balanced façade composition, creates a refined and planar architectural expression typical of Edwardian design. The high-quality carpentry, well-proportioned trim, and consistent window alignment demonstrate a high degree of craftsmanship and design integrity.
Historical/Associative Value
The property holds historical and associative value through its connection to the Thomas Adams Estate Plan, one of the earliest planned residential subdivisions in St. Catharines, registered in 1875. The house was constructed circa 1911 for Albert and Catharine Pay, prominent civic figures associated with the Thomas family. Albert Pay served as City Clerk of St. Catharines from 1906 to 1926, while his family played an influential role in local political, business, and civic life. Following their tenure, the property was owned and occupied by Anna and Frederick Burt from 1926 to 1968. Frederick Burt was active in church and community affairs, serving as organist at St. George’s Anglican Church and leading wartime fundraising campaigns. The long association of the property with these families contributes to its significance as a tangible link to the city’s civic and social history.
Contextual Value
7 Thomas Street is an integral part of the Thomas Street streetscape and contributes to the cohesive Edwardian and Victorian character of the neighbourhood. The property’s scale, setback, mature landscaping, and verandah presence reinforce the established residential rhythm of the street and its historic connection to the Thomas Adams Estate subdivision. The dwelling’s architectural harmony with adjacent properties at 5 and 9 Thomas Street supports the continuity of the historic built form and the sense of place within the Plan 53 area. The property’s siting, design, and long-standing visual presence make it a defining feature of this early twentieth-century residential corridor, maintaining its historic and aesthetic relationships with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Heritage Attributes
Key heritage attributes that embody the cultural heritage value or interest of 7 Thomas Street include:
- The two-storey Edwardian residential form with hipped roof and front cross-gable projection;
- The broad boxed eaves supported by sawn rafter tails and modest frieze;
- The full-width wrap-around verandah with square Classical posts, simple entablature, traditional balustrade, and lattice skirting;
- The horizontal wood clapboard siding with defined cornerboards and wide window and door architraves;
- The symmetrical façade composition with front bay projection and vertically proportioned window openings;
- The small square attic window centered within the gable face;
- The continuous stone or parged concrete foundation expressed as a water table; and
- The overall massing, scale, and roofline proportions that exemplify Edwardian domestic design.
- The property’s original rectangular lot configuration and consistent setback from Thomas Street;
- Its spatial and visual relationship to adjacent Edwardian and Victorian dwellings within the Thomas Adams Estate Plan area;
- Its contribution to the cohesive early twentieth-century residential streetscape of Thomas Street;
- The mature landscape setting, including open front yard and traditional tree canopy; and
- Its role as a contributing property that reinforces the historic residential character and sense of place of the Thomas Street corridor.
Objection
Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than thirty (30) days after the publication of this notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Objections must be made in writing and set out the reasons and relevant facts. Please direct objections to: Office of the City Clerk, City of St. Catharines
50 Church Street, P.O. Box 3012, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2, clerks@stcatharines.ca
More Information
Further details may be obtained from the City of St. Catharines. Inquiries can be directed to:
- James Neilson
- Senior Project Manager
- 905.980.7196
- jneilson@stcatharines.ca
Dated the 16th day of January 2026.
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