Description of Historic Place

The J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home is an early 20th-century one-and-a-half storey residence built in the American Bungalow style. It is located on a landscaped property on Murray Avenue in the heart of the City of Bathurst.

Heritage Value

The J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with the Kent family and for its architecture.

The J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home is recognized to highlight the importance of the persons who lived there, particularly John Harper Kent and his wife, Gwendolyn. Following the death of William J. Kent, his son, John Harper Kent, took control of W. J. Kent and Company. It was under his leadership that the Kent company developed and diversified. The Kent family enterprises got their start in the early 1880s with the opening of a general store by William J. Kent. Thereafter, the Kent name was associated with several local businesses and enterprises. The Kent company diversified by operating a variety of businesses, such as the Kent Theatre Building, Gloucester Hotel, Carleton Hotel, Kent Motel, Kent Sales, Gloucester Dry Cleaning and Laundry, Bathurst Laundromat, Bathurst Propane, Northern Storage, Bathurst Ready Mix, Kent Farms, Kent Trailer Park, Capital Lanes, Chaleur Beach Picnic Site and Trailer Park, Kent Shoes, and Miramichi Propane.

John Harper and Gwendolyn promoted the importance of education by establishing the J. Harper Kent Charitable Foundation Inc. Their commitment and support for the educational and cultural sector were acknowledged tangibly through the naming of the Gwendolyn Kent Auditorium at Bathurst High School and the J. Harper Kent Auditorium at the University of New Brunswick’s Wu Conference Centre in Fredericton.

The J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home is recognized as well for its association with Angus E. McLean. While manager of the Bathurst Lumber Company, Mr. McLean had this residence built.

The J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home is further recognized for its architectural value. Built in circa 1920, this house, with its Arts and Crafts influence, is a good example of the American Bungalow from the early 20th century. The gable roof whose front slope extends down to form a veranda, the numerous double windows, and the support brackets under the eaves are all elements confirming the architectural purity of the origins of the American Bungalow style.

Source : Bathurst Heritage Trust Commission Inc., "J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home" file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the J. Harper and Gwendolyn Kent Home include:
- location in the city centre;
- landscaping of the property, with its trees and shrubs;
- one-and-a-half storey design;
- gable roof, with the front slope extending down to form a veranda;
- support brackets below the eaves;
- large veranda on the main façade;
- symmetry of the openings;
- numerous double windows;
- massive square pillars of the veranda;
- front and rear gable dormer windows;
- brick chimneys.