Description of Historic Place

The John F. Edgecomb Residence is located in the subdivision of Duncraggan Court above Mount Pleasant Avenue in an exclusive residential area of Saint John. This Colonial Revival style residence is two storeys high and of wooden construction.

Heritage Value

The John F. Edgecomb Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its location and context within Duncraggan Court. Duncraggan Court was originally the grounds for Fred Burpee’s elaborate 1876 home. Burpee’s home, sometimes known as the “castle” and rivalling that of Robert Reed further along the ridge, was known as the “centre of society” in the 1890’s. It was demolished in 1928 by Richard Wright, who converted the grounds to an exclusive suburb, leaving only the well house standing which still forms the centrepiece for Duncraggan Court today. Wright subdivided the property into lots which were built up over the next couple of decades. The stones from the old residence have been reused in some of the newer buildings, and others are wood frame houses reflecting the suburban fashions of the day. Most of the houses have an element of English or Tudor styling in their architecture, following the court’s picturesque layout and the Tudor Revival style of the earliest new house there, Wright’s own residence. The Court retains a private, exclusive feeling, following the same paths and picturesque layout that served the now-demolished stately home whose grounds the area once formed.

The John F. Edgecomb Residence is a good example of a Colonial Revival suburban home from the early 20th century, reflecting Saint John's participation in the common taste of fashionable suburbs across North America. It has the symmetrical massing, portico entrance, sidelights, multi-light shuttered windows, and gable roof typical of this style. It is nestled into a picturesque natural landscape setting and would have reflected well on the status of its original owner, dental surgeon John F. Edgecomb, for whom building this house represented a move slightly away from the city’s uptown and out from the apartment above his dental practice.

Source: Planning and Development Department – City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the Colonial Revival architecture of the John F. Edgecomb Residence include:
- low pitch lateral gable roof;
- rectangular two-storey plan;
- symmetrical front façade;
- placement and proportions of single and triple set windows;
- multi-pane windows (6/6 and 4/4) with decorative shutters;
- wooden shingle siding;
- gable end returns;
- brick side chimney;
- landscaping and placement within Duncraggan Court.

The character-defining elements of the entrance include:
- central portico entrance with a gable roof and semi-elliptical arch pediment supported by Doric columns;
- blind elliptical transom;
- sidelights with multiple panes;
- wooden door with moulded panels.