This photograph displays the building’s facades on Canterbury and Duke Street and shows the slope of the hill on Duke Street and the neighboring building on Canterbury Street, 2004.
Photo: City of Saint John
- Built
- 1912
- Recognized
- 1982
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Ames-Holden-McCready Footwear Company building is a five storey brick building that was built in the mill construction style. The building is located in the Trinity Royal Preservation Area, at the corner of Duke and Canterbury Streets in the City of Saint John.
Heritage value
The Ames-Holden McCready Footwear Company building is recognized as a Local Historic Place because it reflects the industrial and commercial growth developments of Saint John in the 20th century. Located in the Trinity Royal area it was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.
This building was built in 1912 for the Canadian Ames-Holden-McCready Footwear Company. The building is a significant example of the mill construction style, a system which provided an improved level of protection against fire due to the thickness of the wood used in construction. This fact was recognized by insurance companies of that time. The company used the building for general offices and a warehouse. The ground floor was for office space and each floor of the building housed one of the various brands of footwear manufactured by the company.
The building was later used as an Eaton’s Department Store from 1939 to 1957. Eaton’s, one of Canada’s most popular stores through the first half of the 20th century, was a household name. Unemployment Insurance of Canada offices were subsequently located in the building, followed by regional offices of the Canada Post Corporation.
SourcePlanning Department, City of Saint John
Character‑defining elements
Character-defining elements relating to the mill construction style, and industrial and commercial growth development in 20th century Saint John, include:
Location and context:
- a five storey brick building, built in the mill construction style in the Trinity Royal District.
On the exterior:
- form and massing;
- painted building wall sign on top of north wall;
- sandstone sills and brick and sandstone headers;
- two over two vertical slide windows under segmented arches;
- two doors recessed into segmented sandstone arches (with keystone);
- projecting vertical column of bricks between all windows on top four floors with corbel band at the bottom;
- seven horizontal rows of recessed brick course through ground floor on south and east sides;
- dentils below roof fascia.
On the interior:
- large uncovered beams and supports;
- open and unpetitioned 2nd floor.
End of the register’s text
Location
089 Canterbury Street, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L, Canada
45.27041° N, 66.06080° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
Loading map…
Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.