Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Dr. Alexander Fleming House is located on York Street, close to Mount Allison University in Sackville. It is one and half story white clapboard Gothic Revival cottage with Greek Revival features.
Heritage Value
Dr. Alexander Fleming House is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and its association with its former owners.
Dr. Alexander Fleming House is a good example of a simple Gothic Revival cottage, with Greek revival elements. It was built by the Bowser family in circa 1864. It was oriented to the town and university rather than the neighbourhood.
Dr. Alexander Fleming House had several owners. It had doctors’ offices which was very rare in the 1870s in Sackville and in New Brunswick. In later years, it became an artist’s studio.
Dr. Alexander lived and had doctor's offices at this location from 1873 to 1882. His influence in the community included his helping with the arrangements and the design of the Marine Hospital in the renovated Amos Botsford House in 1875. After a very successful practice at his home in Sackville and at the Marine Hospital, Dr. Fleming moved to Brandon, Manitoba in 1882.
Dr. Alexander Fleming House retained a doctor’s office when it was purchased by Dr. Harmon Trueman. The house and lot were later sold to local lawyer Thomas Kinnear and at his early death resold to George Campbell and Sons in 1897. The estate still owns the property. In 1946, the house became home to Lawren P. Harris, son of Lawren S. Harris, member of the Group of Seven. Lawren P. Harris was a war artist who lived and painted here for over 25 years. He was named Head of the Fine Arts Department and Director of the newly formed Mount Allison School of Fine and Applied Arts. A new era for the arts at the university began as Harris and others began a vigorous appraisal of the academic requirements of the department. Until his departure in 1975, significant works of art were produced in his studio in this house.
Source: Town of Sackville, Historic Places File Cabinet, Dr. Alexander Fleming House File
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements that describe Dr. Alexander Fleming House include:
- massing including a 1 ½ story cottage, kitchen addition at the rear, and further addition on the north side;
- steeply pitched gable roof inset with steep cross gable in the Gothic Revival style;
- front door and entrance in the Greek Revival style, including sidelights and transom;
- a veranda, across the front of the house, with decorative trim influenced by the early Victorian period;
- orientation of the house toward the Town of Sackville and Mount Allison University and not toward the nearby street, the only house with this orientation on York Street.
|
