Description of Historic Place

The George Swift Residence is a wooden two-storey Cape Cod vernacular building located on Frederick Street in the Town of St. Andrews. The residence was built circa 1826.

Heritage Value

The George Swift Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its age and for its association with European immigration to St. Andrews.

Butcher George Swift of Ireland, was located at this residence as early as 1826 and the Swift family resided here until 1880. St. Andrews was settled by the United Empire Loyalists in 1783 but, by 1820, the population was unstable. From the mid-1820's through the 1860's, many Irish settled in the area. 38% of New Brunswick’s present population has Irish heritage as a result of that large migration. During the Irish Famine years, large numbers of immigrants used the area as a stepping-stone into the United States.

Simple vernacular side-gabled plan houses with central entranceways such as the George Swift Residence were the most common early structures built in the first 50 years of the English settlements of Canada. The more prominent families built in the Georgian or Neo-Classical styles but common labourers and tradesmen built simply designed homes with low ceilings for the ease of heating.

Source: Charlotte County Archives – Old Gaol, St. Andrews, New Brunswick – St. Andrews Historic Places File, "George Swift Residence”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of this Cape Cod vernacular home include:
- simple vernacular side-gable plan with central entryway;
- symmetrical window placement;
- rectangular vertical sliding windows with simple entablatures;
- moderately-pitched gable roof with flush gable eaves;
- transom window over the entrance;
- corner boards;
- rock foundation.