562 - 564 Water Street

562-564 Water Street has been designated a Registered Heritage Structure because of its architectural and historical values.

Architecturally, this building is important because it is one of the few 19th century commercial buildings that escaped the great fire of 1892. Situated on the corner of Water Street and Patrick Street, this stone, brick and wood structure is typical of the merchant and commercial buildings located in St. John’s before the Great Fire. This building is separated into two levels, the lower level serving as store space while the upper level housed an apartment. This division of space is common among early commercial buildings in St. John’s because many businessmen both lived and worked out of the same building. With its steep gabled roof and large storefront windows, this building is a unique fixture in the west end of Water Street which today is mostly occupied by small residential building and industrial structures.

Historically, this building is important because of its associations with the Great Fire of 1892 and also because of its continual use as a commercial building. Following the Great Fire that destroyed much of downtown, this continued its operations, serving as one of the few remaining grocery outlets for residents in the downtown district. Since the time of its construction, this building housed a variety of commercial establishments, including W. G. Stephens “Mammy's Bakery”, and Mr. Morrisseys grocery store.