Description of Historic Place

The Ames-Holden-McCready Footwear Company building is a five storey brick building that was built in the mill construction style. The building is located in the Trinity Royal Preservation Area, at the corner of Duke and Canterbury Streets in the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Ames-Holden McCready Footwear Company building is recognized as a Local Historic Place because it reflects the industrial and commercial growth developments of Saint John in the 20th century. Located in the Trinity Royal area it was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.

This building was built in 1912 for the Canadian Ames-Holden-McCready Footwear Company. The building is a significant example of the mill construction style, a system which provided an improved level of protection against fire due to the thickness of the wood used in construction. This fact was recognized by insurance companies of that time. The company used the building for general offices and a warehouse. The ground floor was for office space and each floor of the building housed one of the various brands of footwear manufactured by the company.

The building was later used as an Eaton’s Department Store from 1939 to 1957. Eaton’s, one of Canada’s most popular stores through the first half of the 20th century, was a household name. Unemployment Insurance of Canada offices were subsequently located in the building, followed by regional offices of the Canada Post Corporation.

Source: Planning Department, City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements relating to the mill construction style, and industrial and commercial growth development in 20th century Saint John, include:

Location and context:
- a five storey brick building, built in the mill construction style in the Trinity Royal District.

On the exterior:
- form and massing;
- painted building wall sign on top of north wall;
- sandstone sills and brick and sandstone headers;
- two over two vertical slide windows under segmented arches;
- two doors recessed into segmented sandstone arches (with keystone);
- projecting vertical column of bricks between all windows on top four floors with corbel band at the bottom;
- seven horizontal rows of recessed brick course through ground floor on south and east sides;
- dentils below roof fascia.

On the interior:
- large uncovered beams and supports;
- open and unpetitioned 2nd floor.