The John Strathie Rowsell house is located on the western end of Coster Street and within the Bonavista Municipal Heritage District. The home stands close to several municipally and provincially designated heritage structures including Jubilee House, Lawrence Cottage, Lockyer Manor and the Methodist Central School. It is also located near two other Bonavista Living properties Jubilee House and Gosling House.

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The Strathie Rowsell House was the home of John Strathie Rowsell (1862 – 1946) a well-established merchant with a general store on Church Street. ​​Master builders Alexander Strathie Jr. and his son Ronald Strathie designed and built the home for Alexander’s nephew, John Strathie Rowsell in 1883-84. It was the last home likely designed and build by Alexander Jr. This also would have been one of Ronald’s earliest projects, and one of the few he worked on with his father. Just 3 years after building the Strathie Rowsell house Ronald Strathie designed and built Jubilee House for his first cousin, John Withers Lawrence, right next door on Coster Street.

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Architecturally the home is significant not only because it was constructed by the Strathie firm but because of its unique architectural embellishments. These features included gothic windows on the second floor, decorative brackets in the eaves and a stain glass entry. 

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Prior to restoration, the home had a sizeable 1980’s addition branching off the front of the property on to Coster Street. This addition was removed, and the front sun porch was reinstated.