Description of Historic Place

Col. Nehemiah Marks Home is a two-storey Picturesque residence from the mid-19th century with a one-and-a-half storey extension. The house is located on Prince William Street in St. Stephen.

Heritage Value

The Col. Nehemiah Marks Home is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with some of its former occupants.

The Col. Nehemiah Marks Home is a good example of Picturesque residential architecture from the mid-19th century in St. Stephen. It exhibits certain elements of this style, including a steeply pitched gable roof with dormers that break the eave line and the overall symmetry of details. The one-and-a-half storey addition follows the original design of the house.

The Col. Nehemiah Marks Home is also recognized for its association with a family that figured prominently in the early development of St. Stephen. In 1837, the house was sold to Col. Nehemiah Marks, son of original Loyalist settler Captain Nehemiah Marks. Col. Marks took over his father’s enterprises and expanded into the worldwide lumber and shipping industries. He was also an officer in the Charlotte County Militia for more than twenty years. In 1850, the house was occupied by his older son Joseph and his wife Lucy. Joseph died in 1888 and his brother Nehemiah III and his wife Hannah Bixby took up residence in the home and remained there until 1925, thus ending the Marks family’s occupancy of the residence.

Source: St Stephen Town Hall - Historical Places file "Col. Nehemiah Marks Home"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Picturesque architecture of the Col. Nehemiah Marks Home include:
- rectangular two-storey massing;
- one-and-a-half storey extension following the original design of the house;
- overall symmetry of the façade;
- steep gable roof;
- gable dormers that break the eaves;
- Palladian window;
- two-storey porch with balcony over the central entrance;
- regular fenestration of rectangular windows;
- two symetrically placed chimneys.