Description of Historic Place

The Foster Residence is a wooden two-storey Italianate residence. It is located on Queen Street in the Trinity Royal Heritage Preservation Area in the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Foster Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its former occupants.

The Foster Residence is recognized as part of a collection of residential Italianate buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John were destroyed by the Great Saint John Fire in 1877. The Foster Residence is an example of this style of architecture from the rebuilding period in Saint John following the fire.

The Foster Residence is also recognized through its association with past occupants. John Foster had this residence built to replace his previous home at this site that burned in the 1877 fire, after having stood for only two years. His store, to the west of this home, was also built shortly after the Great Fire. He came to Saint John from St. Martins, and became a well known Prince William Street grocer. He was regarded as one of Saint John's cleverest and most level headed businessmen. He died in 1895, leaving his wife, Kate, to carry on the business for some time. The grocery ceased operations about the time of the First World War. Although Kate Foster left this home in 1904, the Foster family owned and rented the home until 1947.

Alexander Gibson Gregory lived here from 1904 to 1915. He was the son of Hugh S. Gregory, the progenitor of H. S. Gregory and Sons. H. S. Gregory and Sons were classified as a bulwark of Saint John's shipping industry. The firm name was a familiar one and hundreds of households had received their living to a great extent through the large labour interests involved in the Gregory stevedore activities. H. S. Gregory was great friends with lumber baron Alexander Gibson and named his son Alexander Gibson Gregory in his honour.

The longest occupant of this home was Harry C. Boyer. Harry was a shipper for the James Robertson Company, which dealt with engineer's supplies. He lived in this residence from 1941 until the 1970's.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Foster Residence include:
- two-storey rectangular massing;
- clapboard siding;
- bracketed roof-line cornice decorated with dentils;
- projecting second floor window entablatures with brackets;
- pedimented first floor window entablatures supported by brackets;
- rectangular 4/4 vertical sliding wood windows.

The character defining elements that describe the entrance of Foster Residence include:
- pedimented entablature supported by long brackets over the lateral entrance;
- transom window.