884-886 1/2 Main Street

884-886½ Main Street consists of a gable roofed two-and-half-storey wooden commercial structure in the vernacular Classic Revival architectural style with its ground floor storefront facing north on Main Street in Moncton.

884-886½ Main Street is designated a Local Historic Place for being a lasting example of late 19th century wooden commercial vernacular Classic Revival architectural style in Moncton and for its association with its tenants.

Since its construction in 1882 as a storefront for A. A. Tuttle’s funeral home business that later became Tuttle Bros. Limited, very little has changed in the overall architecture of the building. The rectangular massing, symmetrical fenestration, clapboard siding and the layout of the storefront bulkheads reflect traditional elements of wooden commercial structures on Moncton’s Main St. during this era.

The building’s association with the Tuttle family is also important. The family’s funeral home business is an offshoot of A. A. Tuttle’s door and sash business. It has maintained itself as an industry leader in funeral services in the Maritime Provinces, establishing itself as the longest-running family owned company still in operation in Moncton.

For many years, the upper floors of the building were used as a residence for several members of the Tuttle family. Several subsequent occupants of 884-886½ Main Street are also noteworthy. Shortly after the Tuttles’ occupancy of the building ended in the early 1920’s, Harry Hans Groceries would begin a decades-long tenure at this location. For more than 30 years, Harry Kirsh occupied a portion of the building to operate his clothing store. Mr. Kirsh, a Lithuanian immigrant, was one of the founding members of Tiferes Israel Synagogue, Moncton’s only Jewish congregation.

Source: Moncton Museum Historic Places files – “884-886 ½ Main Street”

The character-defining elements that describe 884-886½ Main Street include:

- rectangular massing;

- gable roof;

- symmetrical fenestration;

- clapboard siding;

- ground floor storefront;

- association with original and subsequent tenants.