Renos to the Conroy-McDonald heritage home in Old Aylmer

City Council approved, March 15, a renovation project for 47 Symmes Street. The rectangular shaped Conroy-McDonald heritage home dates from the 1850s and is designated as a heritage monument.

The proposed work will restore the roof, the roof overhangs and eves, windows and exterior doors. The owner also wants to change the colour from green to a charcoal grey. The plan includes completing renovations that began last summer.

According to the City’s urban planning committee (CCU), “The exterior renovations planned are founded on historical bases and contribute to the preservation of the building’s characteristics, which give it its heritage value.

“The roof’s green asphalt shingles will be replaced by Galvalume charcoal grey prepainted steel plate panels.

 

“The new exterior will be finished similar to that of traditional exteriors.”

Curiously, the original exterior of the house was made of wood. In fact, the present stucco finish hides a wood surface.

The Aylmer Heritage Association was informed of the work and it will follow these renovations since the house has an important heritage value.

In fact, the property located at the north-west corner of Symmes and Parker Streets, was once owned by Aylmer’s founder Charles Symmes. According to Diane Aldred’s history book, “Aylmer, Québec: Son Patrimoine,”   it was the masonry contractor William Davis, “the one who built the second Saint-Paul’s Church in 1862”, who built the Conroy-McDonald house for either the Moses Holt bar owner or the Michael Donahue blacksmith.

The house, “with its double Mansard roof ”, then came to the Aylmer contractor Robert Conroy around 1860. The latter was responsible for the construction of the British Hotel, located near the Conroy-McDonald House.

The famous house is still owned by the extended Conroy family. Again, according to Ms Aldred, “in 1885, the house was sold to entrepreneur Donald B. McDonald, whose daughter Maria had married Conroy’s son, William.” The latter became Aylmer’s mayor towards the end of the 19th century. A member of the Conroy-McDonald family was still owner of the house until the 1990s.

(Transl. : CB)