Description of Historic Place

The Sussex Ginger Ale Factory is a large three-storey industrial building located on Pleasant Avenue. The building, now divided into several apartments, has retained its outward form with a parapet on the front two-storey façade, and its full three-storey façade on the Manola Street side.

Heritage Value

The Sussex Ginger Ale Factory is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with the production of the Sussex Ginger Ale. In 1895, mineral waters were discovered on Church Avenue by S. H. White. White formed a partnership with G. Armstrong and started the Sussex Mineral Springs Company. Sales improved when carbonation, sugar and flavourings were added to the water. In 1910, the company built this building on Pleasant Avenue to house the business. In 1911, J. Howard Pearn and G. Percy Bolton formed P & B, a bottling company that was in direct competition with Sussex Mineral Springs Company. In 1929, the two firms merged to form Sussex Ginger Ale Ltd. In 1930, renovations took place at this building to double the capacity from 5000 bottles a day to 10,000 bottles. Sussex Golden Ginger Ale, which is darker in colour and more strongly flavoured than dry ginger ale, is still produced today by Cadbury Beverages Canada Inc. as a regional brand.

Town of Sussex – Historic Places File # 8

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the original industrial function of the Sussex Ginger Ale Factory include:
- rectangular three-storey massing;
- building footprint relating to 1930 renovations;
- parapet on front façade;
- wide, low-pitched gable roof.