Description of Historic Place

Bradford Hotel is a late 18th-century, wooden, 2 1/2-storey Georgian style building. It is located on Water Street in St. Andrews.

Heritage Value

Bradford Hotel is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its importance in the history of hospitality in St. Andrews.

Bradford Hotel is recognized for its architecture. It displays the symmetrical five bay massing and medium pitched side gable roof that characterizes much of the Georgian architecture in St. Andrews. The interior of this building has had little alteration and still reflects its age through its exposed pegged rafters, wide floor-boards, tin ceilings, and large fireplace. Its location in the middle of the downtown section of St. Andrews facing Water Street, while the back of the building faces the harbour of St. Andrews, made it a prime location for early shipping related industries. Built in the late 18th century, circa 1784-1800, this attractive building was purchased for 400 pounds by John Bailey, in 1828, from the estate of loyalist Robert Pagan, a well known St. Andrews merchant. In 1845 Bailey's son-in-law, Englishman John Bradford, became proprietor of Bradford Hotel in this building.

Bradford Hotel is also recognized for its hospitality. St. Andrews has a rich history of hotels but the Bradford Hotel which opened its doors to weary travelers over 160 years ago, long before the railroad brought throngs of summer tourists. John Bradford passed away in 1870 and his widow sold the building in 1873 but the building remained a hotel, under the name of American House, throughout the remainder of the 19th Century. For many years through the 20th Century, this building served as a popular bakery which shared their space with beauty salons and other commercial ventures.

Source: St. Andrews Civic Trust - Charlotte County Archives, St. Andrews NB

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Bradford Hotel include:
- location in the middle of the downtown section of St. Andrews facing Water Street, with the back of the building facing the harbour of St. Andrews;
- medium pitch, metal, side gabled roof;
- twin gabled dormers with 2/2 vertical sliding windows;
- 5 symmetrical 2/2 wood vertical sliding windows in 2nd storey;
- wooden headers over the windows;
- narrow clapboard;
- pediment over the entranceway;
- two large storefront windows, with cornice, flanked by pilasters.

The character-defining elements that describe the interior of Bradford Hotel include:
- original plank flooring;
- exposed pegged rafters with Roman numerals;
- tin ceilings;
- antique service counter;
- large fireplace.