Description of Historic Place

Bremner Hotel is located on Water Street in Miramichi, overlooking the Miramichi River and Middle Island. Built circa 1824, this 2 ½ story vernacular house and grounds are surrounded by a mature cedar hedge.

Heritage Value

The Bremner Hotel is designated a Local Historic Place for its significance as home to an original grantholder, Philip Bremner, for its architecture and for its importance as a leisure destination for early trade and commerce industries in the 1830's on the Miramichi.

Philip Bremner was a Nova Scotian that came to the Miramichi as a young man and took out Lot 25 from the Crown in the early 1800's, on which this vernacular house stands. The residence still exhibits such typical Maritime vernacular elements such as the wooden shingle siding. The original large cedar hedge reflects landscaping from this era.

The Bremner Hotel became a meeting place, hotel and tavern for the first sawmill and the fishery established at nearby Middle Island, supplying the local demand of the day.

It is also significant as an operational farm, known as Twin Elms Farm, with its owner holding the position of President of the Canadian Jersey Cattle Association.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office Site File #05-36

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with this original vernacular home include:
- rectangular two and a half storey massing with ell;
- rubble stone foundation;
- asymmetrical placement of front entrance and windows;
- second level window placement tight to the eaves, typical of early Maritime vernacular style;
- little change to exterior design;
- ell extension as later addition;
- gabled central front porch with double wooden half columns resting on base;
- clad in wooden shingles.

The character-defining elements associated with the grounds include :

- mature cedar hedge.