Description of Historic Place

The William Merry House is a modest single-storey home built on the shoreline below a rock bluff in the City of Miramichi. It is located on Norton Lane bordering Ritchie Wharf Municipal Park in Miramichi.

Heritage Value

The William Merry House is valued for its association with Irish born lighthouse keeper, William Merry, and for its architecture. Merry built this modest home sometime between 1854 and 1860 while he was a single man in his early 30's. This place functioned as his residence as well as that of his widowed mother and siblings. It represents an example of working class immigrant housing during the mid-1800's and bears characteristics of architecture comparable to rural Ireland at that time.

Source: City of Miramichi Heritage Office - Beaverbrook House - Historic Places File #07-91

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the modest rural Irish architecture of the William Merry House include:
- vertical plank construction;
- gable roof;
- overall symmetry;
- single-storey rectangular massing.

Character-defining elements of the William Merry House relating to its location include;
- position of residence with respect to the rock bluff to the rear of building and shoreline immediately in front of the residence.