Description of Historic Place

314 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal, N.S., also known as the Gushue Building, is a two storey, flat roofed brick commercial building located at 314 St. George St. It is located in the historic commercial district of Annapolis Royal and is situated opposite Fort Anne National Historic Park. It was built in the late nineteenth century and substantially rebuilt after it was gutted by fire in 1921. The municipal designation includes the building and surrounding property.

Heritage Value

Historic Value

The historic value of the 314 St. George Street, as recognized in its municipal designation, is found in its long association with the commercial development of Annapolis Royal. When the British military (Board of Ordnance) divested itself of much of its property in the town in 1854 this area of St. George Street became available for the expansion of the business district. 314 St. George Street was built in the 1890s. William R. Perkins was the owner at the time of the fire of 1921, which swept away approximately half of the commercial district of the town. Although the building was of brick construction, this was not sufficient protection against the fire that was fed by high winds and the surrounding wooden structures. Perkins’ store was the only structure in this part of town to survive even partially. The store and the commercial district were rebuilt, and the building has continued as a significant part of the business community of the town until the present day.

Architectural Value

The architectural significance of 314 St. George Street is found in its Colonial Revival features and its largely intact exterior. It has a balanced front façade, with the original 1921-1922 fenestration. The windows on the second storey and the smaller windows above the main store windows display the small panes reminiscent of the Colonial or Georgian style. The front door is recessed; above it is a larger second-storey wood window with wood paneling on a plain entablature. The only decorative feature in the brickwork is stone quoins on the two front first storey corners, and stone keystones over all of the windows on the front façade. A brick cornice caps the façade. The building is unique in that, in spite of the disastrous fire, all of the other stores rebuilt in the area after the fire were of wood construction.

Some of the first storey windows on the side street façade, (St. Anthony Street), have been bricked up.

Source: Heritage Property Files, Map #101, 314 St. George Street, Town Hall, Town of Annapolis Royal.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the 314 St. George Street relate to its Colonial Revival style and function as a commercial building and include:

- symmetrical façade
- small panes in the front street level windows;
- brick construction in a neighborhood of wooden structures;
- positioning at the very edge of the street;
- visibility from two streets;
- location across from Fort Anne National Historic Park;
- continuous commercial use.