This site presents my research into the history of my house.
The lot now called 16 McDougall St. was originally crown land in use by the British Board of Ordinance. The land granted to Margaret Dalton in 1844. Dalton was the widow of a soldier at Fort Townshend and there were a number of such grants of former Fort Townshend land to military widows at the same time. It is possible that the land was leased prior to the grant. The land was on the west side of a short street (now non-existant), on the other side of which was the fort's powder house. It is not clear if Dalton or her family ever used the land.
The property was bought in 1873 by George James Smith, a wharfinger. The first street address given for the house was 42 Maxse St., and at one point it was also 36 Maxse St. The Smith family lived there until 1923, when the property was bought by the Parsons.
The house was originally a 2 1/2 story gable-roofed building about 17' deep, with no basement. The house was then probably much like the ones across and down the street, from the same period. It is the oldest extant house on the north side of McDougall St., with only a few others on the block in 1880. Sometime before then a nine-foot extension with basement was added, turning the house into saltbox style. The attic was converted to a full story and roof changed from a gable roof to a flat mansard somewhere between 1889 and 1902. The insurance maps continue to record this as two 1/2 stories at least until 1963.
Given the scope and nature of the architectural changes, and the timing of occupancy and sale of the land, it's likely that the house was built in 1873 when the land was purchased by George J. Smith, who was engaged to be married the next year. It is quite possible that it was built earlier than this.