Description of Historic Place

The Depot Railway Hotel is a side-gabled wood-framed two-storey Colonial Revival building. It was formerly a hotel associated with the railway.

Heritage Value

The Depot Railway Hotel has heritage value for its association with the European and North American Railway, for its association with the Salisbury and Albert Railroad, for its architecture and for its association with silver fox farming.

The Depot Railway Hotel was one of several hotels along the railway line in Salisbury that were the result of growth in the railway industry in New Brunswick. The European and North American Railway, which was officially opened for travel between Pointe-du-Chêne (Shediac) and Saint John in August 1860, was the first railway in New Brunswick. The Salisbury station became one of the busiest on the entire line; by 1870 Salisbury had the fourth highest volume shipped on this line. This railway service was transferred to Intercolonial Railway in 1872 and has been operated by Canadian National Railway since 1918. The Salisbury and Albert Railroad was opened in 1877 to link the Intercolonial Railway with Albert County communities and to bring mineral resources, agricultural and lumber products to markets. Albert County is still known for its useful minerals: gypsum, petroleum, grindstones and Albertite.

An 1862 map of Salisbury, shortly after the arrival of the railway, show several hotels located mostly on Main Street: J. Holland Hotel, E. Kay’s Hotel, Patterson’s Hotel, R. Kay Hotel, S.S. Wilmot Hotel and P. Foshay’s Temperance Inn, which was located on Fredericton Road. This was the end of the stagecoach era. The stagecoach was gradually replaced by railway trains and new hotels developed accordingly closer to the railway. An 1878 map, shows the Salisbury and Albert Railway line in place, and two new hotels on either side of Horsman Street (then called Telegraph Street) close to the railway: Smith’s Hotel on the west and McDonald Hotel on the east of Telegraph Street. These two hotels were probably burned on November 3, 1887. A new hotel, built on the same site as the former McDonald Hotel, probably in 1888, was operated by Patrick Gray under the name Depot Hotel and is now a residence. Its architecture is of the Colonial Revival style with a full second storey, a side-gabled roof with central dormers and symmetrically located doors and windows.

The Depot Railway Hotel is recognized for the architecture of the hotel. It is a wood-framed two-storey rectangular building built circa 1888 in the Colonial Revival style, which is characterized by a steep roof with side gables, narrow eaves and symmetrically spaced double-hung windows. One of the paired chimneys and the two-storey porch are no longer in existence. The original wood clapboard has been covered. The central dormers on the main building and on the one-storey annex provide charm to the building and natural lighting for the attics. Two fireplaces, original door and window moldings and some room numbers are still present on the inside.

The Depot Railway Hotel is recognized for its association with silver fox farming. The Salisbury area rapidly became a world leader in this industry. Patrick Gray, owner of the Depot Hotel, operated a fox farm located on the opposite side (east) of Fredericton Road. The silver fox industry gradually declined as fur coats and other fur apparels became less fashionable.

Source: Salisbury Village Office, Local Historic Places file #4

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Depot Railway Hotel include:
- two-storey wood-frame construction;
- steeply-pitched lateral gable roof;
- symmetrical original location of windows and doors;
- central dormer;
- fireplaces and interior woodwork;
- proximity to the railway line.