Description of Historic Place

Built about 1878, the Old Dominion Bank Building is a five-storey brick Italianate commercial building. It is located on Prince William Street within the boundaries of the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area of the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Old Dominion Bank Building is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its past occupants and owners.

Built about 1878 and renovated in 1914, the Old Dominion Bank Building is recognized as an expression of the significance of a Saint John commercial district. It is one of a collection of government, commercial and residential buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John were destroyed by the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. This building serves as a reminder of that fire and the strong will of the residents of Saint John to rebuild the city. The brick architecture sent a message that the city would be more fire resistant in the future and the elements and design in this building as well as the rest of the collection demonstrate that the city was going to be rebuilt as well or better than the city that was lost. The Dominion Bank Building is a good example of commercial Italianate architecture from Saint John's rebuilding period. It is located within the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area, officially recognized by the City of Saint John in 1982.

The Old Dominion Bank Building is also recognized for its association with its past occupants and owners. Originally owned by G. R. and Hon. William Pugsley, one of the original occupants was Robert Walker Waddington Frink from 1881 until 1901. Robert was engaged in the insurance business for 45 years. At the age of 21, he was appointed general agent for the Western Assurance Company and he held that office until his death in 1919.

The Old Dominion Bank Building is also recognized for its association with the histiry of banking services in Saint John. The Merchants' Bank of Canada obtained this building and renovated it in 1914. The reconstruction cost was $37,000. The architect was Neal Brodie. The lower part of the building was used for the banking business and the upper storeys were let out to lawyers, insurance agents, and other professional agencies. The woodwork consisted of the best quartered oak while the floors were made of well-seasoned birch. The ceiling was reconstructed to 24 feet high. One storey was added during these renovations and the assessment value rose from $15,000 to $35,000. The Merchants Bank merged with the Bank of Montreal in 1922 and this building was sold to the Dominion Bank.

The Dominion Bank, later Toronto Dominion Bank, owned this building for 41 years from 1923 to 1964, and the present owners have owned the building for the past 40 years (1965-2005). The Dominion Bank opened its first branch in 1871 and kept pace with the Bank of Toronto through the 1870's across Central Canada. In 1954, the Dominion Bank amalgamated with their long time rival the Bank of Toronto and in February 1955, the Toronto-Dominion Bank was created with 449 branches. The building then housed a branch of the Toronto Dominion Bank.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Old Dominion Bank Building include:
- rectangular five-storey massing;
- brick exterior walls;
- symmetrical window placement;
- corbel bands at roof-line;
- pilasters separating the bays;
- large segmented arches encompassing paired pointed arch window openings with sandstone ends;
- vertical sliding wood windows;
- fills width of the lot.