Description of Historic Place

The Dr. Lawrence McLaren House is a two-storey Georgian style house with a hipped roof from the mid 19th century. It is located on Acadie Street in Richibucto.

Heritage Value

The Dr. Lawrence McLaren House is designated as a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with the renowned Richibucto surgeon, Dr. Lawrence McLaren.

This house is an example of a two-storey Georgian style residence. It was built in 1852-53 for Dr. Lawrence McLaren. The master carpenter was William Martin, who, according to the signed contract for the construction of the house, was paid £168 for his work. The building is rectangular in shape and has a hip roof. It still retains its basic original appearance although its windows have been replaced and it is covered with modern siding.

The house’s interior retains much of its original or ancient detail. The plan of the main level has remained relatively intact and consists basically of a central hall that is flanked on both sides by two rooms. The hall is quite wide and is divided in two by an overhead arch. The staiway to the second floor is located at the end of the hall. The second floor plan has remained intact and consists of a central hall that is flanked by two bedrooms on both sides. Almost all of the interior original woodwork still remains, which includes the doors, the window and door frames, the baseboards and the baluster of the stairway leading to the second floor. The fireplace in the north parlour still has its beautiful wood surround. The house’s cellar is very shallow, being about a metre in depth near the centre; it has a dirt floor and stone walls.

Dr. Lawrence McLaren was born in Charlottetown, P. E. I., in 1817. He pursued his studies in medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1834. After his return to Canada, he settled in Richibucto where he practised his profession for 25 years. He married Jane Murray Jardine in 1844. His medical office was located in this residence. His expertise in surgery was widely admired. He was also coroner for Kent County. In 1866, he moved to Saint John, N. B., where he continued his profession. He died in 1892.

His son, Dr. Murray McLaren, who was born in the house, practised in Saint John where he attained much recognition. He became the federal Minister of Health and was also Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.

Sources: Richibucto Town Hall - Richibucto Historic Places files; Centre d'études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, Université de Moncton

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Dr. Lawrence MacLaren House include:
- the two-storey rectangular plan;
- the hipped roof;
- the original fenestration;
- the relatively intact interior plan;
- the original or old interior woodwork, including doors, frames and baseboards;
- the balustrade of the staircase leading to the second floor;
- the wood surround of the north fireplace;
- the milk glass doorknobs of the upstairs bedrooms;
- the shallow cellar with stone walls.