Description of Historic Place

Standard Building is a four-storey brick Italianate commercial building. It is located on Prince William Street within the boundary of the Trinity Royal area of the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

Standard Building is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its different businesses.

Built about 1878 with the top storey having been added in 1914, Standard Building is a good example of Italianate commercial architecture. It exhibits traditional elements of this style, including a wooden storefront cornice, various arched window openings and and an overall symmetrical front façade. It is recognized as being a part of the reconstruction phase that Saint John went through shortly after the Great Saint John Fire of 1877.

Standard Building is also recognized for its association with some of its former occupants. Standard Building was originally occupied by lawyers and real estate agents. The Standard Publishing Company obtained the building in 1909 and added a fourth storey. Standard Publishing Company's first published newspaper was in 1886, with the first "The Standard" having been published in this building on March 25th, 1909. By 1924, the Standard had ceased operations and the building was sold to N. B. Publishing Company Ltd.

Standard Building is also recognized for its association with theatre operator Abram I. Garson. He obtained the building in 1933. Mr. Garson was an important local entrepreneur who began his carrer in the movie theatre business, later entering into steamship brokerage. In the early 1930's, he extended his interest to real estate and was a real estate agent in 1933 in this building. Beginning in 1949, this building became Odeon Garson Theatres.

Source: Planning and Development Department-City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that define this Italianate building include:
- four storey rectangular massing set flush to the sidewalk;
- brick exterior walls;
- overall symmetry of the front façade;
- ground-level storefront, including wooden cornice, fascia board, brick and cast iron pilasters and large windows with transoms;
- slightly recessed storefront entrance, including paired wooden doors with glass panels;
- regular fenestration of vertically sliding wood frame windows;
- Roman arched windows on the 4th storey;
- segmented arch windows on the 2nd and 3rd storeys;
- corbel bands of the original cornice over 3rd storey.