History of St. Andrews

Established in 1783 by Loyalists from Castine, Maine, St. Andrews is one of New Brunswick’s oldest and most distinctive settlements.
18th Century

Established in 1783 by Loyalists from Castine, Maine, St. Andrews is one of New Brunswick’s oldest and most distinctive settlements. The old plat, now the nucleus of the modern town, is a neat rectangle half a mile deep and a mile long laid out on a south facing hillside that slopes gently toward the harbour. It is a classic example of colonial town planning. The broad, straight streets form a regular grid broken at intervals by open squares for public buildings and a market place. Except for Water Street, which runs along the shore, all the street names have royal or colonial associations. Thirteen are named after the children of George III and his wife, Charlotte, and two after faithful servants of the crown; the remainder are King, the show street, Queen and Prince of Wales. St. Andrews is a symbol as well as a settlement.

19th Century

For about fifty years after its founding the town prospered. St. Andrews was both the shiretown and a garrison town for British soldiers. It was also a thriving merchant settlement. Located at the tip of a long, narrow peninsula at the mouth of the St. Croix River it was, as one observer remarked, “prettily situated” to supply protected West Indian and British markets. Lumber and fish were shipped to the West Indies, in exchange for molasses and rum (still the favourite tipple), and lumber and wooden sailing vessels to Great Britain.

Separated from Maine ports only by a bay and a tangle of islands the town’s merchants and shipowners also enjoyed a flourishing carrying trade when Great Britain and the United States were at odds or at war. Needing the other’s goods, but forbidden to trade, each country used St. Andrews merchants and ship owners to transfer goods “along the lines” (the international boundary) between British and American vessels.

But with the decline of hostilities and the withdrawal of the colonial preference in the 1830’s and 1840’s the town’s economy crumbled. By 1880 the population had fallen to two thousand, roughly its present level, and perhaps half of the figure at the beginning of the century. Economic relief came only toward the end of the century with the building of railways and the desire of the rich to escape the summer heat, humidity and associated diseases of the eastern and seaboard cities. Blessed with offshore waters kept cool by the giant tides of the Bay of Fundy, and with a magnificent harbour and bay, St. Andrews was a natural choice for development as a fashionable summer resort.

20th Century

Until the 1930’s the town was an exclusive summer retreat. Overnight trains from Boston and Montreal brought prosperous, and often prominent, Americans and Canadians to well appointed hotels and elegant summer houses. Many came for a month or a season and, if they owned summer houses, they arrived with an entourage of maids, cooks, chauffeurs, and, in some cases, butlers. But with the growing wealth of the middle classes, and the increasing availability of the car, the town’s days as an exclusive resort were numbered. The hotels remain well appointed and the summer houses retain their elegance but today’s visitors are far more likely to arrive by family car and chartered bus than chauffeured limousine.

As well as attracting health seeking summer visitors, the great tides and cool water of Passamaquoddy proved irresistible to marine scientists. The Bay is extremely rich in plant and animal life. The Federal Government had maintained a biological research station in St. Andrews since 1906. The “Station,” as it is known to townspeople, is now the senior member of a trio of research and teaching institutions. The others are the Huntsman Marine Science Center, which has university affiliations, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation, a privately funded organization dedicated to the well-being of the wild Atlantic Salmon.

With wild fish stocks in decline, government research is now directed at fish farming, widely regarded as the only means of sustaining a viable inshore fishery. The first government-supported experiments in salmon farming in the late 1970’s have blossomed into a vital commercial enterprise that now provides year round employment and pumps millions of dollars into local economies.

The Architectural Legacy

In 1998 St. Andrews was designated a national historic site. Untouched by the main currents of the 19th century commerce and trade the town, as conservationists see it, was spared the dynamic growth that transfigured so many Canadian and American communities. Existing buildings were unchanged and, until late in the 19th century, few new ones were built. Despite subsequent losses, enough early buildings have survived to provide a comprehensive record of the town’s architectural development. Styles range from simple salt box and Cape Cod houses to elegant Georgian town houses and summer houses built in the American “shingle” style. Many of the latter were designed by Edward Maxwell, the renowned Boston and Montreal architect. The junction of Montague and King Streets, graced by an elegant Anglican church and town houses in Georgian and Federal styles, has been described as the finest street intersection in Canada. Many of the commercial buildings on Water Street also date from the late 18th or early 19th century and, where gable ends face the street, they create roof lines reminiscent of the older parts of Bergen or Bristol.

References: Above information on the history of St. Andrews is from St Andrews By The Sea`s website.

Below are the photos I took during the trip to St. Andrews and editing with the help of Picnik.

History of the Fairmont Algonquin

St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick is Canada’s first seaside resort town and home of the historic Fairmont Algonquin.  Built in the 1880’s, this Tudor-style hotel is located at the center of an original Loyalist town and serves as a symbol of East Coast hospitality.

The hotel’s grand opening in June 1889 was celebrated by distinguished guests from Canada and the United States, who admired its four storey structure and castle-like facade. The impressive hotel offered 80 guest rooms, with fireplaces in all the larger rooms. First guests paid $3 to $5 per night for a room complete with water closet.

One of The Fairmont Algonquin’s most sought-after features was the ‘cure all’ saltwater baths.  Saltwater was drawn from Passamaquoddy Bay and held in water tanks in the hotel attic. Guests would immerse themselves in the therapeutic solution in bathtubs designed with four taps – two for fresh water and two for saltwater.

The saltwater baths, clean air and local Samson Spring were all believed to have healing properties. Early advertising proclaimed ‘No hay fever here!’ and ‘A general air of restfulness,’ drawing many wealthy tourists with the promise of good health in elegant surroundings - a haven for rejuvenation.

The hotel was the enterprise of the St. Andrews Land Company, established in 1883 by wealthy American businessmen.  During this time most guests arrived by train and so it was only fitting that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company took over ownership in 1903.  The hotel was sold to local interests in 1970 and the Province of New Brunswick leased the property in 1973.  The Province eventually purchased The Fairmont Algonquin along with two golf courses and Katy’s Cove private beach in 1984.

In more recent history, The Fairmont Algonquin was honored with the 2003 New Brunswick Environmental Leadership in Business Award in recognition of its ‘green action plan’.  The comprehensive program includes reducing, reusing, and recycling practices, and a constant search for new green solutions.

The Fairmont Algonquin provides visitors with a taste of history along with modern conveniences.  Whether whale watching, hiking, golfing, biking, or just basking in the maritime sun, The Fairmont Algonquin offers guests activities to enjoy year round. Some notable guests include Sir John A. Macdonald, Bill Cosby, Theodore Roosevelt and Lady Diana, Princess of Wales.

Described by a 1902 brochure as ‘an incomparable resting-place and retreat from the cares of business and the heat and dust and bustle of the city,’ St Andrews by-the-Sea retains to this day its impeccable service and idyllic charm. Join us, and experience Canada’s Historic Seaside Resort.

References: Above information on the history of the Fairmont Algonquin is from Fairmont Algonquin`s website.