Description of Historic Place

The Knodell Building is a three-storey brick building with Italianate detailing. Its west wall adjoins the neighbouring building on Prince William Street. The building is located on Grannan Street in the Trinity Royal area of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The significance of the Knodell Building and the reason for its designation 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.

Another heritage value of the Knodell Building relates to its use as a print shop by George Knodell, a native of Nova Scotia, who came to Saint John as a young man about 1860. The property contained two stores with a printing office above. Mr. Knodell advertised himself as a Book and Job Printer. Eventually several members of the Knodell family worked here. George Knodell died in 1921 and his son, William, became manager of the firm. Between 1928 and 1931 the firm took in a partner, William J. Currie and renamed Knodell and Currie printers. The firm remained in business until 1947. By 1948 new businesses occupied space in the building.

In 1998, the building underwent renovations and currently is a bar and restaurant with restoration and display of some of the building's original features and artefacts.

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 Knodell Building as an expression of the rebuilding phase of the Saint John business district, and its use as a print shop include:

On the storefront:
- fluted columns at the outside ends of the storefront covered with wood and painted fashionably black with gold trim;
- three columns in store front encompassing the two double door entrances;
- large 4 over 4 plate glass window on east side of store front façade;
- heavy double doors;
- decorative transom window over both double doors;
- metal cornice over storefront sign.

On the north façade:
- 2nd and 3rd floors have brick segmented arch windows with sandstone sills;
- decorative brick design on storefront façade;
- corbel bands between each window arch and from side columns to end windows;
- corbel band under roof-line cornice;
- recessed brick with design over all window arches;
- cross design recessed into upper part of the side columns;
- diamond design recessed between upper windows and columns.

On the east wall:
- matching window openings on the 2nd and 3rd storeys on the east wall;
- east wall has old entrances at each floor level.