Description of Historic Place

Commercial Building is located on Water Street in the Historic Water Street District in the City of Miramichi. It is a wooden, three-storey vernacular Greek Revival commercial building.

Heritage Value

Commercial Building is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and its association with its first owner, Joseph Cunard, and its subsequent owner, W. S. Loggie.

Commercial Building is the oldest dated wooden building within the Historic Water Street District. Although the roofline was modified in later years to allow a third level window placement on the façade, this building remains a good example of vernacular Greek Revival commercial architecture from the early 19th century in Miramichi.

Commercial Building was constructed circa 1838 for Joseph Cunard. In 1820, Joseph and his brother Henry left Halifax for the Miramichi and within the next several years built up the firm Joseph Cunard & Co. into one of the largest firms in the province, branching into shipbuilding, shipping, lumber and mill trade.

Commercial Building has housed merchandise businesses since 1838 and was associated in 1867 with subsequent owner W.S. Loggie. The W.S. Loggie Co. Ltd. held its head office from this building for a century thereafter.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office Site File #06-72

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Commercial Building include:
- three-storey rectangular massing;
- wooden construction;
- three consecutive ground-level storefronts of balanced size and form;
- roof-line and storefront cornices;
- storefront pilasters and engaged columns;
- storefront entries flanked by glass window displays and transoms;
- wooden clapboard siding;
- balanced 1/1 window placements on the second and third level façades.