Description of Historic Place

The Clinch building is a four storey brick commercial building in the westernmost block of King Street in uptown Saint John. The building is located in the Trinity Royal area and was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.

Heritage Value

This building is significant as one of a collection of Italianate Second Empire style commercial buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John was destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. The Clinch Building was built circa 1878 in the Italianate style. It is significant due to its association with for Robert T. Clinch, a prominent citizen of Saint John. As Superintendent of the Western Union Telegraph Company, Clinch oversaw the number of Western Union offices increase and the number of employees double in the Maritimes. At this time, Western Union was involved in the installation of trans-Atlantic cables.

This building serves as a reminder of the strong will of the Saint John merchants to rebuild the city after the fire. The brick and stone architecture sent a message that the city would be more fire resistant in the future. The elements and level of design demonstrate that the city was rebuilt in grander fashion.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

Some of the elements relating to the Italianate Style in this building are as follows:
- form and massing;
- roof cornice supported by brackets;
- corbel band below the projecting roof cornice;
- decorative projecting and recessing brickwork throughout;
- 3rd storey windows have projecting entablatures;
- projecting columns span the 2nd and 3rd floors;
- six window openings at each storey with segmented arches (one over one);
- sandstone window sills.
The Storefront
- doorways on each side of a large central column, creating two stores;
- corner columns;
- east store has large window separated by one vertical mullion;
- west store also has a large window;
- bracketed cornice.