Home / Accueil

Flat Iron Building

897-899 Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1996/09/23

The Flat Iron Building was rebuilt from a wooden structure in 1917 to keep up with the modern look of Moncton's downtown. ; Moncton Museum
Flat Iron Building - 2004
This historic photograph presents the excavation of Main Street to build the new Subway Structure.; Moncton Museum
Flat Iron Building - 1915
No Image

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1917/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/05/06

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Flat Iron Building consists of a two-story, brick façade commercial building located at 897-899 Main Street in Moncton. It is situated on the north side of Main Street, adjacent to the Subway Structure, which crosses Main Street at Archibald Street.

Heritage Value

The Flat Iron Building is designated as a Local Historic Place because of its Italianate storefront architecture and its historical significance to the development of downtown Moncton.

The Flat Iron Building replaced a pre-1888 wooden structure of similar design in 1917 by the owner, J. D. LeBlanc, who operated a tailoring business there for many years. The concept was to design and create a better aesthetic and modern view for passengers passing by rail along the newly erected Subway Structure (1915). Its unique footprint was created by the intersection of the Intercolonial Railway crossing and Main Street.

The Flat Iron Building was designated as a Moncton Heritage Property under By-Law #Z-1102 in 1996.

Source: Moncton Museum, Moncton, New Brunswick - second floor files – “897-899 Main Street”.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to location and context include:
- its location, providing an aesthetically improved and modern view for rail passengers.

The character-defining elements relating to the exterior of the structure include:
- red brick façade, dentilated stringcourse and dentilated corbel cornice;
- coffered panels created in brick between corbel band and corbel cornice;
- second story stretcher brick bond;
- second story façade with 2/2 hinged windows beside 1 over 1 casement windows, three-light flat transoms, plain lug sills and keystone voussoir headers; - first story façade with paired 2/2 hinged windows over a four light stationary window with plain lug sills;
- façade windows with ironwork attached to the sills;
- first story façade finished in painted herringbone wooden slats;
- the door and window trim at the western point of the “flat iron” with plain pediment with decorated tympanum over pilasters;
- rectangular windows along the ceiling of the main floor forming a clerestory.

The character-defining structural elements include:
- Italianate storefront façade;
- polygonal massing follows unique property layout.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Community Planning Act

Recognition Type

Local Register

Recognition Date

1996/09/23

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1915/01/01 to 1915/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Commerce / Commercial Services
Eating or Drinking Establishment
Residence
Single Dwelling

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Shop or Wholesale Establishment
Commerce / Commercial Services
Office or Office Building

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Moncton Museum, 20 Mountain Road, Moncton, New Brunswick - second Floor, back office files - filed by civic address

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

146

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places