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Jarvis Building

118-120 Prince William Street, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1982/03/18

This photograph shows the contextual view of the building, 2005; City of Saint John
Jarvis Building - Contextual view
This photograph shows the Roman arch entranceways, 2005; City of Saint John
Jarvis Building - Entrance
This photograph shows the cornice with its detailed brick work, 2005; City of Saint John
Jarvis Building - Cornice

Other Name(s)

Jarvis Building
Insurance Building
Immeuble Insurance

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/06/06

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Jarvis Building is a three-storey brick Italianate commercial building. It is located on Prince William Street within the boundary of the Trinity Royal Heritage Preservation Area of the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

Jarvis Building is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, its association with some of the occupants and being one of the ten buildings restored that received the first national streetscape recognition.

Built circa 1877-1878, Jarvis Building is recognized for its architecture. It is a good example of 3-storey brick Italianate commercial architecture in Saint John. This style is reflected in the elaborate cornice, the roman arch door and window openings and the overall symmetry of the façade.

Jarvis Building is also recognized for some of its occupants. William Munson Jarvis was a barrister of the Supreme Court and general agent for the Maritime Provinces of Canada for the Liverpool and London Globe Insurance Company for nearly half a century. Jarvis passed away in 1921 but the building remained with his estate until the City of Saint John purchased it in 1940.

Jarvis Building is also recognized for being associated with the origin of the law firm Teed and Teed. Mariner Teed moved into this building circa 1905 and later went into partnership with his son John Teed. This was the creation of the law firm of Teed and Teed which is past its 100th year of legal services. In 2005, Teed and Teed operation (2005) is a father and son combination being the grandson and the great grandson of Mariner Teed.

Jarvis Building is also recognized for being one of ten buildings that were owned by the City of Saint John and left vacant in the late 1960’s when the new 15 storey city hall was built. Although there had been serious consideration of demolition, a call for proposals in the early 1980’s allowed purchasers to obtain these 10 Prince William Street properties at a nominal amount provided they restore them to their original conditions. The restoration was a success and within a few years some of these buildings, such as the building in question, became a part of Canada’s first list of National Historic Streetscapes.

Source: Planning and Development Department-City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe Jarvis building include:
- rectangular 3-storey massing that fills the entire width of the lot;
- dentilated brick work at the roof-line cornice;
- each storey receding in height;
- brick pilasters separating the facade into 3 bays;
- projecting brick corbel below each storey;
- 1877 date stone;
- all window and entrance openings being roman arched with sandstone keystones;
- paired roman arch windows with sandstone keystones and sandstone sills;
- all windows with arches being supported by brick pilasters with sandstone bases;
- vertical sliding 2/2 wood windows;
- ground level having large roman arch windows;
- two entrances in central bay separated by a brick pilaster;
- roman arch entranceways with large roman arch transom windows;
- sandstone keystones over entrances;
- wooden doors with glass panels;
- sandstone steps.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Municipal Heritage Preservation Act, s.5(1)

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Preservation Act

Recognition Date

1982/03/18

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Governing Canada
Security and Law

Function - Category and Type

Current

Commerce / Commercial Services
Studio

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Office or Office Building

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

508

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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