Description of Historic Place

Stanley Apartments are a three-storey, brick, Italianate apartment building with a former shop area in the lower level. The building is located on Queen Street in the Trinity Royal Heritage Preservation Area.

Heritage Value

Stanley Apartments is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with the hotel and lodging industries.

Stanley Apartments is recognized for being part of a collection of commercial/residential Italianate buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the city were destroyed by the Great Saint John Fire in 1877. Built circa 1880, Stanley Apartments is a good example of brick commercial/residential Italianate architecture from the rebuilding period following the fire. The use of brick and the design of this building demonstrate that the city was going to be rebuilt as well or better than the city that was lost.

Stanley Apartments are also recognized through their association with the hotel and lodging industry. The building has been used as a hotel, boarding house, or apartments since the time of its construction. In addition, commercial ventures such as a shoemaking shop, restaurant, and grocery store occupied the lower level until the early 1900's. In 1880, it was known as the Bay View Hotel. However, it became vacant by 1884. The hotel industry was very competitive and many of the smaller hotels could not compete and therefore this hotel failed to continue. By 1886, the building was used as a boarding house and through the 1890's the shop on the lower level housed small enterprises, such as Ida McCormack's restaurant, and Robert McCormack's shoe making shop and grocery store. When a Mrs. J. E. McCormick had the building for sale in 1901 it was advertised as a boarding and lodging building with groceries and confectionery, adding that it was a desirable property. For a short time near the outbreak of the First World War, it served as the Salvation Army Metropole Hotel, known as Queen's Hall. In 1915 the Salvation Army vacated this building. Hester Hoey, widow of James Ritchie Hoey, obtained the building in the 1920's and utilized it as a boarding house under the name of Brunswick House. In 1935, Stanley Chesworth obtained the building, naming it Stanley Apartments. That name was commonly used by the locals in addressing this building until the late 1970's. This building still operates as an apartment building today.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe Stanley Apartments include:
- rectangular three-storey massing;
- brick exterior walls;
- bracketed roof-line cornice;
- 2/2 vertical sliding wood windows;
- segmented arch window openings with corbelled headers;
- Roman arch windows in central bay with corbelled headers;
- sandstone sills;
- brick quoins;
- storefront cornice;
- brick pilasters in storefront;
- large wooden shop door.