Description of Historic Place

The Pascal Emerson Building is a four storey Italianate-style brick building near the top of King Street in downtown Saint John in the Trinity Royal area.

Heritage Value

The significance of The Pascal Emerson Building and the reason it was designated as a Local Historic Place lies in its association with the rebuilding phase of the Saint John business district. This building is one of a collection of well maintained buildings that were built between 1877 and 1881 after 2/3rds of the City of Saint John was destroyed by fire in 1877. The Great Saint John Fire was catastrophic and this building serves as a reminder of that fire and the strong will of the Saint John merchants to rebuild the city. The brick and stone architecture sent a message that the city would be more fire resistant in the future and the elements and design in this building as well as the rest of the collection demonstrate that the city was going to be rebuilt as well or better than the city that was lost.

This building was built immediately after the fire. The first occupants were dry goods merchants Watts & Turner and James W. Hegan. Later, in 1890 Holman and Butcher occupied one side of the building and Harold Gilbert occupied the other side. Holman and Butcher were wholesale and retail dealers in wall paper, plain and ornamental glass, window shades, picture mouldings, feather dusters, etc. Harold Gilbert was in the household furnishing trade and specialized in carpetry.

The building was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.

Source: Planning Dept. City of Saint John.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Pascal Emerson Building
as an expression of the rebuilding phase of the Saint John business district include:

- 1877 date stone in ornamental scroll of sandstone recessed into facade on 3rd floor;
- decorative recessed brick design on all stories;
- three horizontal rows of sandstone at the top of each floor;
- three horizontal rows of sandstone at the bottom of each floor;
- painted white crosses on three window sills marking old fire exits;
- decorative sandstone Roman arches above the sandstone horizontal row over 2nd floor windows with cream and red brick "V" design within the arches;
- lip running across ¾ mark of every floor;
- corbel band under cornice;
- one over one windows;
- sandstone window sills with headers;
- three cast iron pilasters; two at ends and one at centre of the store front;
- large storefront windows with bulkhead panels.