Description of Historic Place

Dr. Inches' Office is a two-and-a-half storey brick Second Empire home with a mansard roof, elaborate dormers and a two-storey bay window. It is located on Germain Street in the Trinity Royal Preservation Area of the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

Dr. Inches’ Office is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its occupants.

Dr. Inches’ Office is recognized for its architecture. Many of the buildings in the residential district of Germain Street were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century as all the older buildings were destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. Germain Street is known for its many fine residences and a large number of these homes were used as doctor's offices. Built circa 1887 for Dr. Peter Robertson Inches, this residence is a good example of Second Empire residential architecture from the rebuilding period in Saint John. This style is evident in details such as the mansard roof, the elaborate dormers and the two-storey bay window. The use of brick and the quality of the workmanship in this Second Empire building represent the will for the city to rebuild, as well or better, after the fire.

Dr. Inches’ Office is also recognized for its association with the Inches family. This building was constructed to serve as the home and medical office of Dr. Peter Robertson Inches. After studying abroad, Dr. Inches was elected a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England before moving back to Saint John to start his practise. He was one of the best known physicians in Saint John when he passed away in 1919.

This was both the childhood home and the home in the adult years of his son, Cyrus Fiske Inches. Cyrus was a layer for the firm of Inches and Hazen, which was formed in 1912. He was also a decorated soldier during the First World War. The home was occupied by the Inches family until about 1930 when again the home was used as a doctor's office for Dr. William Rowley.

Source: Planning and Development Department - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Second Empire architecture of Dr. Inches’ Office include:
- two-and-a-half storey rectangular massing;
- brick exterior walls;
- proportioned placement of rectangular windows;
- decorative brickwork;
- prominent mansard dormer with a Roman arched brick formation inset with dentils and paired Roman arch window openings;
- gable dormer with paired segmented arch window openings;
- corbel bands under the eaves;
- continuous sandstone sills;
- segmented arch window openings of the second storey;
- two-storey bay window;
- paired walnut stained wooden doors with glass panels and a segmented arch transom window;
- single-storey porch supported by elongated brackets;
- two large sandstone pilasters at the entranceway.