Description of Historic Place

The Paul Residence is a wooden three-storey Italianate residence with a large roof-line cornice and an off-centre entrance. It is located on Orange Street within the Orange Street Heritage Preservation Area of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Paul Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its location, for its architecture and for its association with its former occupants.

The Paul Residence is recognized as part of a block that survived the Great Saint John Fire which destroyed two-thirds of the city in 1877. The eastern end of Orange Street was occupied mostly by merchants and tradesmen. This was the last home on the eastern end of Orange Street, until the early 1900's, as the street did not continue on beyond this point to connect with Crown Street as it does today. This residence is an example of pre-fire Italianate residential architecture.

The Paul Residence is also recognized through the long time occupancy of the Paul family. Matthew Paul was living in this home as early as 1863. He came to Saint John from Ireland in 1831. During the year of the cholera in 1854, he was making furniture and had an undertaking establishment on King Square. He died in 1891 but his son, James A. Paul, remained in this dwelling. Born in 1837, James was also a carpenter and he later became a janitor at the Public Works Department for 32 years. Members of the Paul family maintained ownership of this building until 1917.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Paul Residence include:
- similar set-back with neighbouring buildings;
- tall rectangular three-storey massing ;
- overall symmetry;
- wooden clapboard siding;
- wide cornice ornamented with modillions;
- single and triple rectangular vertical sliding 2/2 wooden windows;
- moulded entablatures over the windows;
- bracketed entablature over the entrance;
- off-centre entrance.