Remember This? 143 McGregor

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

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Remember this… A home for the middle class - 143 McGregor

Many of the early stone houses in Sault Ste. Marie were constructed by the community’s leaders, usually representing the upper class. However the home at 143 McGregor represents a typical middle class home that was built in the Sault in the early 1900s. It seems to have survived with the least amount of alterations providing us with an accurate image of this style of home.  

The original owner of the property was listed as Donald McGregor, who was the banker for the town of Sault Ste. Marie. He then sold Lots 30-59 in February of 1901 to John Wesley Moffly and Charles Eugene Chipley both from Sault Ste. Marie Michigan at a cost of $2,800. In March of 1902 John Moffly and Charles Chipley sold Lots 37 and 38 for $300 to Jane Bassingthwaighte, wife of James Bassingthwaighte who was an Insurance Broker in Sault Ste. Marie.  In October 1905 Jane Bassingthwaighte sold Lot 38 to William H. House, a jeweller in Sault Ste. Marie for the amount of $265. A condition of this sale stated that no house built on the lot could be valued at less than $1,500 and also could not be built within 30 feet of the street.

William H. House had the house that we now know recognize as 143 McGregor constructed between 1905 to1907 at an approximate cost of $4,000. The climate of Northern Ontario was taken into consideration during the construction of the house.  The exterior of the home was designed to maximize function with minimum ornamentation. The availability of the trade skills available at the time also affected the design of this house. The two-story home sits on top of a sandstone basement with its frame made from local clay bricks  The house originally used wooden shingles, which were later replaced with asphalt. The most recognizable architectural element of the home is the conical tower which is topped with a pinnacle. A wooden porch extends the full length of the front of the house excluding the tower.  This porch is supported by sandstone piers with tapered white columns extending from the piers that support flattened Tudor arches.

In 1927 a merchant by the name of Cornelius Albert Hinsperger purchased the house and during the Great Depression gained a reputation for hospitality. The Hinsperger family would gather at the home and sing songs, entertaining their guests and lightening the mood caused by the economic difficulties of the day. Hanlan Hinsperger, Cornelius’s nephew stated “I remember visiting my uncle’s home at 143 McGregor Avenue during the years of the Great Depression. Most fondly I remember singing all the popular songs of the day, during a difficult time in history… Perhaps the grown-ups were discussing more serious topics, but I only remember how fun it was at the McGregor home.”

Recognition of the importance of this property to our city resulted in it being designated as a Municipal Heritage Building on November 18, 1991. Although there have been many owners of this home, today it continues to stand as a fine example of an early twentieth century home that was attainable for the middle class of our city.

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