Description of Historic Place

Built in 1892-1893, Anchorage consists of a large ornate house. The property enhances the streetscape on York Street, adjacent to the campus of Mount Allison University in Sackville. The property includes an elaborate house and carriage house showing well-preserved elements of Queen Anne architecture.

Heritage Value

Anchorage is designated a Local Historic Place for the style of the house, and for the prominent role that the three long time owners played in the development of Sackville’s social and financial power base.

Sackville lawyer and former builder Henry Powell built Anchorage in 1892-1893 at the peak of his career as a lawyer while in Sackville. It is a house with several well-preserved elements of the Queen Anne architecture.

Dr. James R. Calkin acquired Anchorage in 1906, while practicing medicine in Sackville for over forty-two years, as well as serving as house physician at Mount Allison University. The family was very active in the social affairs of the community. Calkin served as alderman for the town and as coroner for the Sackville district.

After Calkin’s death in 1933, the property passed to wealthy retired Mariner Captain Ronald V. Bennett. A regular visitor was his brother, Viscount Richard Bedford Bennett Canadian Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935. Capt. Bennett’s name for many years was synonymous with good works, as he played a major role in the founding of the Westmorland Children’s Aid Society and in the establishing of the Sackville Memorial Hospital. At the time of his death, Capt. Bennett left his sizable estate to the University, including his Sackville house. Today, Anchorage (the Bennett House) is Mount Allison’s Centre for Canadian Studies.

Source: Town of Sackville, Historic Places Filing Cabinet, The Anchorage file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the architecture of Anchorage include:
- three-story house with steeply pitched roof of irregular shape;
- uses wall surfaces as primary decorative elements, avoiding plain flat walls through the use of towers, overhangs, wall projections and patterned shingles;
- cornice line dentils,
- many double hung windows with the addition of two Palladian windows on first and third floor on front of house;
- handsome front door surrounded by fan transom and sidelights and overhung by circular portico;
- carriage house;

The character-defining elements that describe the interior of Anchorage include:
- handsome public rooms;
- large entrance halls;
- many guest rooms that would have been used as venues for entertaining, visiting, and hosting “at homes”.