Description of Historic Place

The Hocken Block is a two-storey commercial Classic Revival building located on the north side of Water Street within the Historic Water Street District in the City of Miramichi. It was constructed of brick in 1892 for merchant Richard Hocken.

Heritage Value

The Hocken Block is designated a Local Historic Place for its architectural value, being constructed of brick. This building was one of several commercial brick buildings built in former Town of Chatham’s business core in the 1890’s. It exemplified the new era and the use of a building material that would be more resistant to the often ill-fated ravage of block fires. Local master builder John McDonald constructed it.

The heritage value of Hocken Block also lies in its association with the original merchant owner Richard Hocken. Hocken, an English emigrant and merchant, and son Michael were successful in business, but Michael died at a relatively young age of 48 years in 1906. The senior had the building designed to house two storefronts on the main level. The eastern half housed several businesses until it was occupied by W.S. Loggie Co. Ltd. in 1902, which remained here for the next seven decades. In 1892 the westerly half was occupied by druggist J.D.B.F. MacKenzie under the name ‘MacKenzie’s Medical Hall’. MacKenzie earned many achievements during his life here, including his being a founder and first president of the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, a director of Dalhousie University, aide-de-camp to Lieut.Gov. J.B. Snowball and Lieut.Col. and commanding officer of Miramichi 73rd Militia Battalion. He was in charge of taking Newcastle’s Wireless Field in defending Canada from the enemy during WWI. He was also an active member of the Miramichi Natural History Museum. The pharmacy was carried on by employee Walter Scott following MacKenzie’s death and in 1939 the name changed to Scott’s Drug Store. The company still operates from this place today, occupying the entire premises.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office, Beaverbrook House, Site File #08-102

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Hocken Block include:
- large square two-storey massing;
- continuous ornate patterned brickwork;
- sandstone lintels on upper level windows;
- shed roof;
- balanced window placement;
- squared stain glass insets in 1/1 double hung windows on upper west half of building;
- brick dentils;
- central narrowly-projecting frontispiece containing the front entrance;
- insignia ‘1892’ in small central parapet.