Recognized Federal Heritage Building

HMCS Brunswicker

Saint John, New Brunswick

Also known as Former British Military Ordnance Store, Ancien magasin de ravitaillement militaire britannique, Ordnance Store, Building 36

Genereal view of the HMCS Brunswicker.

Genereal view of the HMCS Brunswicker.

Photo: Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada

Built
1841–1842
Recognized
1988
By
Government of Canada

The register’s text, word for word

Description

HMCS Brunswicker, also known as the Former British Military Ordnance Store or Building 36, is located on the Barrack Green Armoury site situated in an industrial area on the southern side of Saint John’s, New Brunswick. It is a long, two-storey, rectangular, stone building featuring a mansard roof with gabled pedimented dormers, symmetrically placed windows and ten regularly spaced bays. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage value

HMCS Brunwicker is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:

HMCS Brunswicker is a useful example of a building associated with the period of British military occupation in Saint John during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the only structure situated on the military property known as the Lower Cove or the Barrack Green, which makes it a very good witness of the site’s function throughout that period. The building is one of the oldest military buildings in the country still in active use and currently houses the Saint John Naval Reserve Unit of the Canadian Forces.

Architectural Value:

HMCS Brunswicker is valued for its good aesthetic and functional design. This utilitarian military structure has a solid and symmetrical form with little decorative embellishments, reflecting a subdued classical design. The building’s value also resides in its very good quality materials and craftsmanship as evidenced by its sturdy workmanlike masonry and attractive stonework detailing.

Environmental Value:

HMCS Brunswicker is compatible with the present character of its military setting, and is a familiar landmark to those visiting the Barrack Green Armoury.

SourceKate MacFarlane, HMCS Brunswicker (Building No.36), Sydney Street, Saint John, N.B. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 87-105; HMCS Brunswicker (Building No.36), Sydney Street, Saint John, New Brunswick, Heritage Character Statement 87-105.

Character‑defining elements

The character-defining elements of the HMCS Brunswicker should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design and very good quality materials and craftsmanship as evidenced in:

  • the simple, low, rectangular massing with a two-storey mansard-roofed form;
  • the copper sheet and batten roof, the pedimented gables and dormer windows;
  • the regularity and symmetry of the façades arranged into ten bays;
  • the exterior walls of irregularly coursed limestone with their corner quoins, prominent windowsills, lintels and segmental arched door openings.

The manner in which HMCS Brunswicker is compatible with the present character of its military setting and is a familiar landmark to those visiting the site as evidenced by:

  • its location within the Barrack Green site, on the southern side of Saint John, New Brunswick;
  • its utilitarian military design and sturdy workmanlike appearance;
  • its scale and presence, which contributes to the urban landscape of Sydney Street;
  • its role in housing a Naval Reserve unit, which makes it familiar within the community.

End of the register’s text

Location

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

45.26500° N, 66.05400° W

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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.