Description of Historic Place

The Domville Building is a three-storey Second Empire sandstone building with Doric and Corinthian columns situated on the southeast corner of King and Prince William Streets in uptown Saint John. The building is located in the Trinity Royal area and was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.

Heritage Value

This building is significant as one of a collection of Italianate and Second Empire style commercial buildings built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John was destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. The Second Empire building also exhibits significant Greek architectural features and a unique design. The Domville Building was built for the Maritime Bank of Saint John in 1878. The building includes an associative value with its founder, Senator James Domville, for whom the building was named. He owned the land on which the building was built and laid the corner stone. A member of the Canadian Senate for eighteen years, Domville is the only Canadian Senator born in Honduras. He was also the founder of the Saint John Public Library which was the first free, tax based, library in Canada.

This building serves as a reminder of the strong will of the Saint John merchants to rebuild the city after the fire. The brick and stone architecture sent a message that the city would be more fire resistant in the future. The elements and level of design demonstrate that the city was rebuilt in grander fashion.

Source: Planning and Development Department – City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The architectural elements relating to the Greek style of the building include:
– elements and massing that imply the fortitude of the era’s bank buildings;
– temple design;
– Doric columns on the 1st storey and Corinthian columns on the 2nd and 3rd storeys;
– 2nd and 3rd floor windows are flanked with Corinthian columns;
– coat of arms in the curved pediment above the central door has a rampant lion with inscription “Qui Stat Caveat”;
– lions head with mane set upon the pediment.
The architectural elements relating to the Second Empire style of the building include:
– Roman arch windows are crowned with ornate keystones;
– bracketed cornices;
– dentils under roof cornice.

Other unique and relevant architectural elements relating to this building are as follows:
– sandstone construction;
– each storey lessens in height from the preceding giving the illusion of a taller building.