Description of Historic Place

The Treadwell House is a one-and-a-half storey, wooden, side-gabled, Maritime Gothic Revival residence built circa 1840 on the corner of Sophia and Water Streets in the Town of St. Andrews.

Heritage Value

The Treadwell House is designated a Local Historic Place for its long time association with the industrious Treadwell family and for its architecture.

The Treadwell House was built circa 1840 for John Treadwell. John was a block and spar maker during the Golden Age of Sail. After the decline of shipbuilding in St. Andrews, he became a bridge contractor.

The Treadwell House is also recognized as the childhood home of John Treadwell Jr., who had lasting influence in Alaskan gold mining. John Jr., like his father, was a carpenter and builder by trade and, for many years, worked as a block and spar maker in his father’s business. He went to California to work in gold mines at a young age and was assigned to prospect in Alaska in 1881. Treadwell staked out land claims and purchased land in the area. He was so successful that in 1889 he sold his interest in the properties for 1.5 million dollars and returned to California. According to local legend, he returned home one day and told his mother to look under the dining room table cloth where she discovered that the entire surface was covered with gold coins. The gold mine town of Treadwell, Alaska was named after John Treadwell. It was one mile from Douglas Alaska on Douglas Island. The towns of Douglas and Treadwell only existed to service the mine but they had a population greater than Juneau. The Treadwell gold mine was the largest gold mine in the world in its time, and remains Alaska’s second largest gold mine of all time. One hundred tons of gold were taken out of Treadwell mine between 1881 and 1917. A flood in 1917 destroyed the mine and Treadwell became a ghost town; it is no longer on any maps.

After the death of John Treadwell Sr. in 1899 the home was left to his son Nathan Treadwell. Nathan was once involved with his brothers in California. He was an essayer for his brother’s mining company. John, James and Nathan Treadwell were all very successful, but Nathan returned home and continued to reside in St. Andrews for the remainder of his life. He was a jeweller and clock maker. Nathan passed away in 1933 and left the home to his son James Frederick Treadwell who remained here until his death in 1965.

The house is an excellent example of Maritime Gothic Revival residential architecture, exhibiting the characteristic central, steeply pitched cross-gable on the front façade.

Source: Charlotte County Archives – Old Gaol – St. Andrews, New Brunswick – St. Andrews Historic Places File, “Treadwell House”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Treadwell House include:
- rectangular one-and -a-half storey plan;
- steeply-pitched gable roof;
- wood cladding;
- window placement and proportions;
- central Gothic cross-gable;
- large corner and frieze boards;
- prominent eave returns.

Entrance:
- central enclosed portico with hipped roof;
- wooden doors with glass upper panels;
- Doric columns;
- bracketed entablature.