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240 Minnesota Street
- Plan 144 S. Pt. Blk. B, By-law No. 81-40
Mr. George Buck, early Collingwood lumber baron, built this magnificent white two storey clapboard home in 1873. He was principal owner of George Buck and Company, later known as Melville, Fair and Company, with a factory located at the north end of Minnesota Street. It is quite likely that the Buck Company produced much of the building material including the wooden window and door frames along with the trims. The house later became known as “The White Gate” when the Bellerly sisters opened a small tea room in the home. A charming white fence and gate bounded the property at this time.
Built in the classical vernacular style, common to many homes at this time in the northern United States and parts of Ontario, it originally appeared with a symmetrical front. The roofline is a gablet with boxed cornices and decorative brackets inspired by the Italianate era. The large double hung windows with entablature window heard surrounds contain six over six window lights. The embrasure door type consists of a single leaf and is five paneled with moulded rails. It also features an entablature head surround. The projecting frontispiece with decorative gable along with the porch were later additions.
The present owner, Mrs. I. Irwin, has lovingly restored much of the home to its original elegance. The original floors built on hand hewn beams are intact. The furnishings are magnificent. This home is architecturally unique to Collingwood where brick was the principal building material.