Notice of Intention to Designate 53 Charlotte Street

Notice of Intention to Designate 53 Charlotte Street, Brantford to be of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest, pursuant to Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18

This notice is published on the City’s website pursuant to Chapter 15 of the Municipal Code on January 31, 2025

Description of Property

53 Charlotte Street is located at the northeast corner of Charlotte Street and Wellington Street and is the site of the relocated Crystal Cottage.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The property has design value because it features a unique example of a material (glass bottles) and because it is a unique example of a type (cottage). The subject property is unique for the use of glass bottles in the exterior brick wall of the Crystal Cottage. Glass bottles are found on the front and side facades, arranged in a course near the top of the wall, oriented base-outwards. Glass bottles are also used as an accent in the front wall and the right-side facade, immediately below the windowsills. The subject property is also unique because it hosts a unique example of a cottage which, though modest in scale, is comparatively highly ornamented with Victorian and Gothic details.

The property has design value or physical value because it displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit. Craftsmanship and artistic merit are visible in the composition of decorative accents located on the front and side facades of the Crystal Cottage. Polychromatic brickwork is used to highlight and emphasize the eaves, glass bottles, and the tops and bottoms of openings. The course of bottles is enhanced by flanking courses of red brick and follows the top curve of segmental arch voussoirs. The glass bottles and surrounding brickwork below windowsills are aligned to the scale of the window openings. Wood trim on the fascia and in the front gable is also detailed, leaving few areas unadorned. The name of the cottage is also spelled out in the gable using chestnuts, laid out in a curve, and embellished with a seashell and glass ornament.

Further Information

For further information about this Notice of Intention to Designate 53 Charlotte Street, please contact Planning and Development Services (Long Range Planning) at 519-759-4150 or by emailing heritage@brantford.ca.

Objections

Anyone who wishes to object to this notice of intention to designate 53 Charlotte Street may serve a notice of objection to the City Clerk within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice. The notice of objection must state the reason for the objection and all relevant facts.

Notices of objection may be served by email to clerks@brantford.ca to the attention of Chris Gauthier, City Clerk.

Notices of objection may be served in hardcopy to:

            Attn: Chris Gauthier, City Clerk

            City of Brantford

            City Hall, 58 Dalhousie Street

            Brantford, ON  N3T 2J2

To assist with processing any objections, please include “notice of objection to the notice of intention to designate 53 Charlotte Street, Brantford under the Ontario Heritage Act” in the subject line and/or on a cover letter.