Description of Historic Place

This 3 storey Second Empire dwelling is located at 004 Park Place on Rennie's Mill Road in St. John's and is situated within the Rennie's Mill Road Federal Heritage District. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

004 Park Place is designated a Municipal Heritage Structure for its aesthetic and historical values.

004 Park Place is aesthetically valuable as a good example of the Second Empire Style. The concave mansard roof, with hooded dormer windows, the decorative eaves brackets and the bay windows on the first floor are all characteristics of the Second Empire Style as it appears in St. John’s. 004 Park Place is also architecturally valuable for its association with well-known architectural firm of J. & J.T. Southcott. The Southcott firm was the purveyor of the Second Empire style in Newfoundland and it is often locally referred to as the Southcott Style.

004 Park Place is historically valuable for its association with prominent Newfoundland politician Augustus F. Goodridge. Goodridge made an important contribution to the political and commercial culture of Newfoundland. Goodridge was first a businessman and then a politician, eventually becoming Prime Minister of Newfoundland in 1894.

Source: City of St. John's Archives designation file.

Character-Defining Elements

All those elements that define the building's Second Empire design, including:
mansard roof with hooded dormers;
-eaves brackets;
-narrow wood clapboard;
-size, style and placement of windows;
-original right gable end entrance with enclosed porch;
-keystone decorations around doors and windows;
-chain-like decoration above second storey windows;
-dentils on eaves;
-decorative fascia board;
-all decorative window trims; and,
-size and dimensions of building.