176 Piccadilly Street

176 Piccadilly Street

Description:
This property consists of a one-storey wood cottage with a hipped roof, a symmetrical primary façade, and a small gable over the central, raised entry. It is located on the northeast corner of Piccadilly Street and St. George Street, immediately north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks.

Previous to the 1922 Fire Insurance Plan, this property appears to have also been referred to as 124 Talbot, however, 176 Piccadilly does show up as early as 1881 in the City Directories. The 1881 City Directory lists carrier Martin Morkin followed by his widow, Margaret, between 1883-1889. Family research shows that Margaret (O’Meara) Markin, a widow, lived there with her son Martin, his wife Elizabeth (Kernohan) Morkin, and Margaret’s daughter, Julia.

Threats:
It is evident that, lately, the cottage and property have been poorly maintained and seem to be vacant which, if left, would result in its deterioration. However, the property has recently displayed a realtor’s “sold” sign, so any new plans for the property are unknown.     

Recommendations:
This is a particularly difficult situation. The property is included in the inventory of properties in the Cultural Heritage Inventory of the North Talbot district. This indicates that it has some relevance to the preservation of the heritage of North Talbot. Although there are some residential properties on St. George St., the property is surrounded by more modern commercial buildings and parking lots on Piccadilly St.

Ideally, to preserve this heritage property, it needs to have a useful purpose.  It may continue to be used as a residence or converted to a professional office for a doctor or lawyer.