Summit House, Drummond St. E.

The house represents blendings of two architectural traditions, one from Toronto and the other local. The main influence is the 5 bay, 2-storey Georgian house with low hipped roof, as in the Toronto homes (both demolished) of “Family Compact” members Bishop John Strachan and Attorney General John Robinson and the surviving “Grange”, built by D’Arcy Boulton (James’ brother) in 1817-18.

Unlike the Toronto mansions, the façade of the Summit has no projecting central bays, and the roofline is broken not by a classic pediment but by a gable which is not perfectly aligned with the windows below. The changes suggest use of local contractors and introduction of aspects of a local house type. The use of brick and the full second floor are features that Boulton brought from Toronto.

Photograph, c1910, from the archives of the Perth Museum, Don Little Collection.

Information from “Perth, Tradition & Style in Eastern Ontario” by Larry Turner, pub. 1992 by Natural Heritage.