Description of Historic Place

The Olive Residence is a two-storey, wooden, Italianate, flat-roofed, two-family residence located on Princess Street between Charlotte and Sydney streets in Saint John's Central Peninsula.

Heritage Value

The Olive Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with the Olive family and for its connection with the Great Saint John Fire in 1877.

Architecturally, the Olive Residence is a good example of the Italianate style in Saint John. This style is characterized by the square façade and overhanging cornice. Single entablatures extend over the door, the paired windows and the central single window. The primary attraction of the home is the symmetrical placement of the windows and the attractive central entranceway with wooden door and ornate bracketed entablature. The Olive Residence has been well preserved and is a charming attribute to a street that has many charming wooden buildings that are well maintained and are near 130 years of age.

The Olive Residence is also recognized as an expression of the significance of the rebuilding of Saint John after the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. This building is one of a collection of residential and commercial Italianate and Second Empire buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John were destroyed by the fire. The Great Saint John Fire was catastrophic and this building serves as a reminder of that fire and the strong will of the residents of Saint John to rebuild the city.

The Olive Residence is also recognized for its long association with the Olive family. This home was built by John Nugent in 1879 but was later occupied by the Olive family for over 70 years. Charles F. Olive moved here in the early 1890's, sharing the home with John Nugent’s widow, and remained here until his death in 1916. Mr. Olive was for many years clerk in the Long Room of the Custom House and later engaged in newspaper work as a shipping editor, reporter and later proofreader for local Saint John newspapers. He was known as a leading baseball player in Saint John and one of the men to introduce the game to this city. In the early 1860's, Olive and his friends requested from New York a book to learn the rules of baseball. In 1874, the club, The Mutuals, was organized, becoming the first organized baseball team in Saint John. It gained distinction throughout eastern Canada and the state of Maine. His son Otty Olive resided in his father's home until his death in the 1960's. Otty was a salesman for the sugar refinery.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of this Italianate residence include:
- window placement and proportions;
- symmetrical two-storey rectangular massing;
- vertical sliding wood windows;
- wood siding;
- corner boards and wooden plinth water table;
- decorative wooden cornice;
- scrolled end brackets;
- windows with entablatures and small brackets.

The character-defining elements of the entrance include:
- hipped entablature supported by ornate scrolled brackets and narrow pilasters;
- dentils;
- scrolled brackets;
- rectangular transom light with two panes;
- narrow paired wooden doors with long lights and square panels underneath.