Description of Historic Place

The Pallen Building is a Georgian two storey sandstone building situated within the Water Street Historic District at 1704 Water street in the City of Miramichi.

Heritage Value

Built circa 1855, the heritage value of the Pallen Building is associated with several successful commercial ventures in the commercial district of the former Town of Chatham.

The Pallen Building is located on part of a lot at the corner of Water Street and George Lane. It is the work of stone mason Andrew Currie and consists of only one of two surviving sandstone structures built by this mason. In 1844 descendant MaryAnn Henderson sold the double storefront building to shoemaker Daniel Keith. Dr.
Pallen, local doctor and druggist, purchased the property in 1854.

Spanning 150 years of commercial use, this building has housed various types of business including tailoring, the local newspaper 'The Colonial Times and Weekly Gazette', various merchants and a barber shop.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office Site File# 04-11.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements associated with the building’s location and context and its setting within the Chatham commercial district include:
- its location in the Historic Water Street District and its immediate context within and relationship to a group of significant buildings.

Character-defining elements associated with the architectural values of the Pallen Building include:
- rectangular plan with hip roof;
- smooth finished olive sandstone resembling that of local quarries;
- original pointing and overall remarkable condition;
- main facade fronting commerce sidewalk and the sideline oriented to pedestrian lane;
- storefronts and entrances recessed from exterior wall on main level;
- continuous stone sill course on second level;
- evenly spaced double hung windows on second level;
- two large storefront windows;
- diagonal entrance at northwest corner.