Home / Accueil

Aymar Residence

267 Montague Street, St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2009/11/02

This photograph shows the front façade of the residence, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Aymar Residence - Front façade
This photograph illustrates the large ascending foundation along Princess Royal Street, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Aymar Residence - Foundation
This photograph shows the larger façade in the rear of the residence, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Aymar Residence - Rear façade

Other Name(s)

Aymar Residence
Stinson Hill
Stinson Hill

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2010/03/25

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Aymar Residence is a wooden Georgian style residence with two-and-a-half storeys on the façade fronting away from Montague Street and one-and-a-half storeys fronting Montague Street. It is located at the intersection of Montague and Princess Royal streets in the Town of St. Andrews.

Heritage Value

The Aymar Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with its past occupants and for being a contributing element to the array of heritage buildings in St. Andrews.

The Aymar Residence is recognized as being an example of Georgian Style architecture from the early 19th century. The style is characterized by the two-and-a-half storey symmetrical massing with central entranceways flanked by two windows on the front and rear façades. The Aymar residence has a typical five-bay plan. The front façade consists of one-and-a-half storeys and reflects the typical Maritime Vernacular, also known as the Cape Cod style. The residence is equipped with three dormers on the front façade and a single dormer on the rear façade which may not have been part of the original construction. The entry is equipped with sidelights and a horizontal transom window. A unique aspect of this property is the high rock foundation that had to be built to justify the slope that the residence was built upon. Facing Montague, the residence has a squat one-and-a-half storey façade, while the opposite façade has two-and-a-half storeys.

The Aymar building is also recognized for its association with the Aymar family who owned and lived in this property for over 80 years, from the time of its construction circa 1830 until 1912. John Aymar obtained this lot from William Kerr in 1829, six months after the passing of his second wife. Research suggests that it appeared to be customary for widowed men to rebuild or purchase another property after the death of a wife. John Aymar was born at Saint John in 1792 and resided in St. Andrews for nearly half a century. John Aymar was engaged in the business of pump and block making. He built and owned several houses and for several years was sole owner of the water works. In 1833, he laid down the mains which supplied many of the residences with water. He also built and owned Aymar’s Iron and Brass Foundry. In 1871, at the age of 79, he conveyed this home to his daughter, Anne, and retired. He passed away in Eastport, Maine, in 1877.

In 1887, John’s daughter Mary Ellen Milliken and her husband Benjamin F. Milliken purchased the home and owned it for 25 years. It is not known how often they occupied the residence as Benjamin, a native of St. George, New Brunswick, like his father-in-law, resided in Eastport, Maine. Benjamin was also an original member of the St. Andrews Water Company.

The Aymar Residence is also recognized for being a contributing element to the array of heritage buildings in St. Andrews. St. Andrews has one of the best collections per capita of heritage buildings in Canada that range from the early thriving loyalist days of the late 1700’s to the Maxwell designed homes of the town’s early tourism era in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Much credit is due to the inhabitants of the town for maintaining this collection and preserving the town’s serene and relaxed atmosphere.

Source: Charlotte County Archives, Old Gaol, St. Andrews, N.B.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of the Aymar residence include:
- wood cladding;
- symmetrical five-bay massing with differing numbers of storeys on the front and rear façades;
- central entranceways on front and rear façades;
- gabled dormer windows;
- sidelights flanking front and rear entrances;
- transom window over front entrance;
- large exposed rock foundation;
- slight eave returns.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Local Historic Places Program

Recognition Type

Municipal Register of Local Historic Places

Recognition Date

2009/11/02

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

John Aymar

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Charlotte County Archives - Old Gaol - St. Andrews, N.B.

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

1873

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places