Description of Historic Place

The Walter S. Vaughan Residence is a wooden two-storey Italianate home with a central entrance and a bay window on the front façade. It is located on Orange Street within the Orange Street Heritage Preservation Area of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Walter S. Vaughan Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, its location and its association with its former occupant.

The Walter S. Vaughan Residence is recognized as one of a collection of residential Italianate and Second Empire buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John were destroyed by fire in 1877. The design of this building represents the will of the city to rebuild, as well or better, after the fire. Orange Street consists of four blocks and displays many fine Victorian-era homes. Many of the residents on this street were connected to Saint John’s lucrative mercantile history or were connected to the sea. This residence is a good example of Italianate residential architecture from the rebuilding period in Saint John following the fire.

The Walter S. Vaughan Residence is also recognized for its association with long time occupant Walter Scott Vaughan. Walter Vaughan moved into this residence about 1920 and remained until his death in 1948. He became a member of the Saint John Fire Department at the age of 16, one year after the Great Saint John Fire. He continued as an active member of No.2 Station for 47 years until 1925 when he was promoted to the first full-time chief, a position he held for 8 years, retiring in 1933. He was an honorary member of both the Maritime and Dominion Fire Chiefs' Associations. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living active member of the Knights of Pythias in Canada.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Walter S. Vaughan Residence include:
- similar set-back with neighbouring buildings;
- shingle siding;
- single, paired and triple rectangular 1/1 vertical sliding wooden windows;
- large bracketed roof-line cornice;
- single bay window with a flared bracketed cornice over first level and a second bracketed cornice over the upper storey;
- bracketed entablatures over the entrance and windows;
- central entrance with transom window.