Description of Historic Place

The Griffith Bishop Residence is a two-storey brick Italianate building on the north side of Mecklenburg Street near the corner of Wentworth Street. It shares a very slight setback from the street with its neighbours.

Heritage Value

The Griffith Bishop Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its past occupants. It is also associated with the Great Saint John Fire of 1877.

The Griffith Bishop Residence is recognized for its architecture. The residence is a good example of the Italianate brick buildings that were built after the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. The residence forms part of an intact heritage streetscape in Saint John and shares a common setback with its neighbouring buildings at the front of their lots. The Italianate features of the building include a metal cornice with wide overhang, brackets, dentils and an off-centered semi-octagonal two-storey bay window. This residence has an unusual dual entrance set back in a projecting ell set in the side of the building. The entrance ell has a metal cornice and wooden doors with lights and transoms.

The Great Fire of 1877, which destroyed two-thirds of the City of Saint John, would prove to be one of the most catastrophic in the history of Canada. The resilient architecture of this building symbolizes the strong will of the residents of Saint John to rebuild the city.

The Griffith Bishop Residence is also recognized for its association with its past occupants. It was built circa 1879 for customs clerk Frank Gallagher. Griffith Bishop took up residency here in the early 1900's and remained here until the 1920's. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick in 1871, Mr. Bishop was for many years on the staff of the Royal Bank of Canada and was manager of branches in Bathurst and Vernon, British Columbia. He retired and moved to Saint John where he became a manufacturer’s agent representing many well known Canadian firms. He was once a representative of H. J. Heinze.

Source: City of Saint John - Planning and Development Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Griffith Bishop Residence include:
- brick principal façade;
- window placement and proportions;
- flat roof;
- metal cornice with wide overhang, brackets and dentils;
- semi-octagonal two-storey bay window;
- sandstone sills and plinth band;
- brick belt courses;
- flush brick segmented arches over windows in the bay;
- protruding brick segmented arches with corbel stops over windows on the main façade;
- ell containing the entrance comprised of dual wooden doors with lights and transoms.