Description of Historic Place

The Flat Iron Building Local Historic Place, built in 1897, is a two storey brick building situated on a small pie-shaped property within the Water Street Historic District at 1698 Water Street in the City of Miramichi.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Flat Iron Building resides in the architectural design of the building. This building depicts the popular style used at the turn of the 20th century in commercial districts to utilize pie shaped pieces of property. This flat iron building is unique in its almost miniature dimensions.

The Flat Iron Building was built for Rev. Edward Bannon to replace the preceding wooden structure consumed by fire in 1891. The building is significant as one of several commercial brick buildings built in Chatham's business core in the 1890's and it exemplified the new era of the use of a building material that would be more resistant to block fires.

Also known as Bannon's Corner, this building was in the Bannon family for three quarters of a century. In that time it served as a location for various businesses.

Source: City of Miramichi, Heritage Office Site File# 04-09.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Flat Iron Building include:
- its location on the bend in Water Street, at the corner of Water Street and George Street and its context within the Water Street Historic District;
- its construction of local red clay brick;
- brick dentils under plain eaves;
- wooden scroll bracket on front elevation at south-western corner;
- continuous wide sandstone course lintel separating first and second storey;
- sandstone lintel painted in gunmetal grey and sill on evenly spaced single hung replaced windows on second level;
- sandstone threshold in location of original double door still visible;
- mansard roof.