The Carriage Estate

William Metheral owned a substantial portion of land at the southeast corner of Aylmer and Murray Streets. Over several decades, the Metheral family expanded along with their business, and the four buildings they erected have all survived into the 21st century. In my research, I have often come across this type of progressive Victorian family land holding. I know of several other examples in Peterborough; it’s a common North American model. The patriarch purchased or received a grant of a generous parcel of land. On it they established their homestead and business. The family grew, and the sons helped build the business, which prospered along with the growing community. They built a slightly larger home. The adult sons, in turn, built prestige property; larger, more luxurious, status type dwellings on the land of the family compound. In this case, two of William Metheral’s sons each lived in one of the units, and the two other homes were rented out, generating additional income. Home and business on the same land. As the families changed, grew, and continued to prosper, they moved on to ever more remote and up-to-date prestige homes, typically on suburban land that was exclusively residential, separating their personal and professional lives. The base of the family business was the secure downtown property. When the family moved away from the initial business, they would rent out and/or sell the original properties.

The William Metheral Carriage business was established at this location in the 1850s. This building was erected in the 1880s, incorporating stone and materials from the earlier structure. Early Peterborough historian Thomas W. Poole’s 1866 book states, “Mr. William Metheral has now been 11 years engaged in this (carriage) business in Peterborough. He employs on an average 6 men.” He states they made buggies, carriages, wagons, sleighs, and cutters.

The original William Metheral homestead was built concurrent with the carriage shop in the 1850s. This 1-½ storey frame home sits up higher because the grade of the land is on a hill. This hill was excavated to accommodate the carriage shop. From their home, the family could literally oversee their business.

In the early 1870s, a second Metheral home was built of brick, on the northeast portion of the property, facing Murray Street. The driveway of this house still extends behind the carriage shop.

This substantial group of four townhouses was built in the late 1880s. William Metheral’s sons Joseph and Wilton occupied two units and rented out the two others. The hillside was excavated again, and a stone retaining wall built between the four-plex and the 1870s home on Murray Street. When first built, I wonder if people called it Metheral’s Castle. The design features four half turrets (projecting bays), one per unit, with conical roofs. It certainly would have been a status symbol in the neighbourhood; it would have been, and still is, architecturally distinctive.