Description of Historic Place

Built in 1870, the Archdeacon Hiram A. Cody House is situated at the end of a long driveway at the top of a hill in the community of Codys. The style of the house is characterized by two large bay windows and other Italianate elements.

Heritage Value

The Archdeacon Hiram A. Cody House, birthplace of Venerable Archdeacon Hiram Alfred Cody (1872-1948), is designated a Provincial Historic Site in recognition of Cody’s status in New Brunswick as a renowned novelist, poet, biographer and clergyman.

H. A. Cody was born in Codys, a Queens County hamlet named after the Loyalist family of which he was a direct descendent. Cody’s novels and poetry were written and published between 1908 and 1937 during the infancy of Canadian publishing. His works were among the first mass produced Canadian books and were read widely throughout North America. His works popularized Canadian themes and content; several of his later works draw on his boyhood experiences in rural New Brunswick. The birthplace of Hiram Alfred Cody was designated a Provincial Historic Site in 1979.

Source: Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport - Heritage Branch - Site File: Vol. III-12830-2, 22

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Archdeacon Hiram A. Cody House include:
- location in the community of Codys;
- placement at the end of a long driveway, reflecting its former use as a farmhouse;
- symmetrical square massing of the main building (additions were added after Cody’s occupancy);
- two prominent bay windows of façade;
- Italianate wooden decoration of bays, notably the scrolling brackets;
- Italianate features of roofline, including low pitch hipped roof, scrolling brackets and wide eaves.