Bellevue House was built by Charles Hales, a successful merchant, in the early 1840s. While most houses in Kingston at the time reflected traditional, conservative Georgian architecture, Hales chose to build the only ?Italianate?-influenced villa in the Province of Canada. Its asymmetrical shape, decorative balconies, and central tower earned it a number of nicknames, including ?Tea Caddy Castle,? ?Molasses Hall,? and ?Pekoe Pagoda? (all inspired by Hales? work as a grocer).