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Algonquin Hotel

184 Adolphus Street, St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2010/02/01

This photograph shows the contextual view of the hotel, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Algonquin Hotel - Contextual view
This photograph shows the front façade and the entrance, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Algonquin Hotel - Entry
This photograph illustrates the rear view with the watch tower, 2009; Town of St. Andrews
Algonquin Hotel - Rear view

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1914/01/01 to 1915/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2010/05/28

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Built in 1914-1915, the Algonquin Hotel is a luxurious sprawling four-storey Tudor Revival hotel and resort. It is located on Adolphus Street in the Town of St. Andrews.

Heritage Value

The Algonquin Hotel is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its role in the re-development of St. Andrews and for being a landmark symbol for tourism travel in New Brunswick.

The original 1889 Algonquin Hotel that could accommodate over 400 guests and valued at three-quarters of a million dollars, was completely destroyed by fire in 1914. In the summer of 1914, the reconstruction process began and architects Barott, Blacader and Webster, along with contractors Peter Lyall and Sons Construction Company of Montreal, were engaged. The building was constructed of reinforced concrete with terra cotta partitions in the interior. Throughout the exterior façade a large quantity of lumber was embedded in the concrete to mimic the weight baring heavy timbers of the Tudor Revival style. This timbering is a key feature to the property and in identifying the Tudor Revival style. Aside from the timbering, the Algonquin has many architectural delights including asymmetrically placed embedded towers crowned by octagonal roofs and a character-defining watch tower. The windows are displayed in many different patterns which enhances its diverse appearance.

The Algonquin Hotel is embedded in the re-development and maintained success of the Town of St. Andrews and is the focal point of Canada’s first seaside resort. By the late 1880’s, the Golden Age of Sail was over and Saint John had became the commercial port, leaving St. Andrews as a recessing community. The railway was struggling and tourism was the town’s answer to increasing traffic. The concept of the Algonquin Hotel was that it would be an extension of the numerous coastal New England resort hotels, since Bar Harbor, Maine, and other resort towns were becoming overcrowded. The St. Andrews Land Company, led by American businessmen and New Brunswick dignitaries had the first Algonquin Hotel constructed in 1889. In 1903 the hotel was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Railway service increased and many of Montreal’s elite, including the General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, built summer residences in St. Andrews. The present structure opened its doors in the summer of 1915 and has been the staple of the town’s tourism for nearly 100 years. The Algonquin Hotel, also known as the Castle-by-the-Sea, often serves as a landmark symbol for New Brunswick tourism and is one of the most photographed structures on provincial travel information guides.

Source: Charlotte County Archives, Old Gaol, Town of St. Andrews

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Algonquin Hotel include:
- concrete construction with embedded timbers in Tudor Revival style;
- large tri-part windows and entranceways under segmented arch openings;
- asymmetrically embedded towers crowned by octagonal roofs;
- watch tower;
- symmetrical window repetitions;
- second storey: large tri-part windows under segmented arches divided in symmetrical succession by small 1-over-1 single windows;
- third storey: perpendicular rectangular, tri-part windows, heavily timbered, divided in symmetrical succession by 1-over-1 single windows;
- fourth floor: hipped gable dormers with tri-part perpendicular rectangular openings divided in symmetrical succession by single narrow shed dormers with small 1-over-1 openings;
- shed dormers and large tri-part windows in rear façade of hotel.

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

2010/02/01

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Building Social and Community Life
Social Movements
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Developing Economies
Communications and Transportation

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Hotel, Motel or Inn

Architect / Designer

Barott, Blacader and Webster

Builder

Peter Lyall and Sons

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

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

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

1921

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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