Description of Historic Place

Ainsley Apartments is a four-storey brick Italianate-influenced building with a projecting central bay. It is located on Germain Street within the Trinity Royal Preservation Area of the City of Saint John

Heritage Value

Ainsley Apartments is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with Inez Iola Carter and for its association with former tenants.

Many of the buildings in the residential district of Germain Street were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century or early 20th century as all the older buildings were destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. Built in 1932, Ainsley Apartments is a good example of Italianate-influenced multiple dwelling architecture from the reconstruction period in Saint John at the beginning of the 20th century.

Ainsley Apartments is also recognized for its association with its long-time owner, Inez Iola Carter. Carter and her husband, Herman Wheaton, became involved in real estate in the late 1920's. This lot at 237 Germain Street was one of the plots of land she purchased on that street for the purpose of erecting an apartment building. Following the death of Wheaton, Carter married World War I veteran, Dr. Melville A. Oulton, in 1936. After his death in 1950, Inez C. Carter retained ownership of the Ainsley Apartments until her death in 1963.

During this period, several prominent individuals of the city resided in Ainsley Apartments. They included George Wetmore Merritt, former manager of The Great West Life Assurance Company, George McAvity, president of T. McAvity and Sons, John Tilton, vice president of W.H. Thorne and Co., Ltd.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Italianate-inspired architecture of Ainsley Apartments building include:
- rectangular four-storey massing;
- large projecting central bay featuring a hipped roof with a gable detail;
- cornice ornamented by soldier course brickwork;
- symmetrical fenestration of rectangular vertical sliding, 1/1 windows with brick soldier course headers and shutters;
- central entrance with sidelights and multi-paned, rectangular transom window.