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Saint John's earliest surviving buildings, located in the city's Lower West
Side, date from 1790. There are several early 19th century buildings in the
city, primarily north of Union Street and also in the Lower West side. Domestic
architecture at this time was heavily influenced by American precedent.
Buildings featured regular fenestration, were usually one and a half to two
storeys high, had a central entrance on the long side, and a gambrel, hipped or
pitched roof. British Neoclassical and American Greek Revival styles were often
the style of choice of local architects.
The majority of historic buildings in the city's uptown area date after the Great Saint John Fire of June 20, 1877. The fire, which has been described as one of the most destructive urban fires in 19th century North America, destroyed over two thirds of the city (over 2000 buildings), and left many of the fine homes which had lined the main residential streets of Saint John in ashes. The owners of these homes, wealthy ship owners, commission agents and merchants were determined that their new homes would equal, if not surpass those they replaced. Architects were commissioned from Saint John, Boston, Halifax, New York, Toronto, and Montreal; they imported fine materials - mahogany from Honduras, marble from Italy; and they engaged noted Saint John builders and craftsmen.
Reconstruction began immediately, and by June 1881 much of the fire-damaged
area was rebuilt. Some building lots, though, remained vacant until the 1930's.
Hundreds of architects, builders, masons, carpenters and laborers came from all
over North America to help rebuild the city. Many of the men were of
professional experience; some had genius, but nearly all, yielding to the
spirit of rivalry and the desire to establish a reputation, put forth their
best efforts to produce original or at least striking designs. The resulting
homes were grand indeed. Today most of them remain standing much as they were
when built - fine examples of period architecture, combined with outstanding
workmanship.
The outcome...was a dramatically new architectural view of Saint John. While some historians have suggested that Maritime architects were conservative in the design of buildings, several Saint John architects such as McKean, Dunn and W.M. Smith, studied in the United States and Europe and worked with some of the leading architects in the United States. Their designs were as modern as those built in Saint John by visiting architects after the Great Fire. After 1870 the influence of British design in local architecture declined and American influence increased.
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