See GC3HWQ3: Historic Saint John Series – County Courthouse for the first in the series.
Saint John is a city steeped in history. Commonly referred to as ‘the Loyalist City’ as well as ‘Canada’s Most Irish City,’ Saint John is Canada's oldest incorporated city (1785). Saint John is home to this country's oldest museum and farmers market. Saint John also established Canada's first police force. This city has been welcoming people from Eastern Europe, England and Ireland for centuries, with each group of immigrants leaving their unique imprint on Saint John culture, architecture and language.
From GZ, looking east, you'll see a white house, with a white picket-style fence, peeking out from behind a neighbouring building. This is a very famous home here and is actually the oldest home still standing in Saint John. This building has become known as 'Loyalist House'.
During the American Revolution, a significant proportion of the population of New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, East Florida, West Florida, and other colonies preferred to remain 'loyal' to the Crown. They were compelled to flee to the protection of their King, and the British Empire. The reasons were varied, but the notion of them being loyal to the King is the most widely accepted. They had also hoped for a peaceful and evolutionary independence, as did eventually occur in Canada.
Many 'Loyalist' refugees made the difficult overland trek into Canada after losing their homes, property, and security during the American Revolution. The Loyalists, many of whom were actually founders of America from the early 17th century, left a well-armed population hostile to the King and his loyalist subjects to build the new nation of Canada. The motto of this new colony of 'New Brunswick', created out of Nova Scotia for loyalist settlement, is "Spem reduxit" (Hope was restored).
While the colony of Nova Scotia (as the combined area of NB and NS was called back then) only had about 20,000 settlers entering 1783, it suddenly saw its population more than double that year with Loyalist immigration. These Loyalists were more likely to be highly aristocratic or upper class. They probably settled in the region in order to be closer to their contemporaries and families in Britain. Some 14,000 settled along the Bay of Fundy into the St. John River region in 1783 alone. The sheer volume of settlers here led the British government to create the colony of New Brunswick in 1784. Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island were splintered into two separate colonies that same year, too. Cape Breton Island rejoined Nova Scotia in 1820.
When these 14,000 American Loyalists landed at the mouth of the Saint John river they founded two towns... Carleton, which is presently the West Side of Saint John and Parrtown, which is Uptown Saint John. Parrtown was then divided into two sections - the Upper Cove which is the Market Square area and the Lower Cove which is now the south end of Saint John.
The Merritt family from Rye, New York were Loyalists who came to Saint John in 1783 with the Queen's Rangers after defeat in the American Revolution. A large branch of the family moved on to Ontario where they rose to military and business success. Thomas and Amy Merritt stayed on in Saint John to raise their family.
In time, their third son, David Daniel, began construction on this very house in 1811 for himself and his family of seven on the corner of Union and Germain streets. The house was completed in 1817, and has become an excellent example of the gains observed in the status and luxury of a successful second-generation loyalist family.
The Merrit family continuously occupied this home for nearly 150 years. David died in 1820, leaving the house to his son, David Jabez Merritt. Upon his death in 1884, it was passed to his daughter, Louise Harrison; and her son, Louis, in 1941. Louis Merritt’s son David was born in 1946, making him the fifth generation to live there.
Loyalist House is one of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of 1877, thanks to the quick work of servants who surrounding the house with wet towels.
The Georgian features of this National Historic Site has remained structurally unaltered since day one. Originally known as the 'house on the hill', it was constructed of pine with cyprus shingles on the south and west walls. This building remains today as a proud reminder of Saint John's British Loyalist heritage.
Inside you will find period antiques, as well as carved mouldings, a gorgeous grand staircase, and an unusual fan light over the original brass knocker. The interior of the house is beautifully maintained and quite elegant. It has been said by many American visitors that the entrance hall is quite similar to that of George Washington's home on the Potomac. The bannister and stairs are similar in design and placement, as are the curved doors that open to the back hall. The main floor parlours contain a magnificent display of furniture bearing the Sheraton, Empire and Duncan Phyfe patterns. The piano-organ, almost 200 years old, still works. In the kitchen the original fireplace implements are still in place, having been discovered when the fireplace was re-opened. There is also an iron pressure cooker, dating back to 1795. The furniture in the dining room, the cabinets, table, 'yoke-back' chairs, and the Rockingham china are all fine examples of period furnishings. Upstairs in the master bedroom there is a beautiful mahogany canopy bed with blush red drapes. A tall shingled carriage house with semi-circular fan light also survives on the site.
It was acquired by the New Brunswick Historical Society in 1959 and is designated a Local Historic Place for its architectural value and for its historic association with the Merritt family. Since purchasing the building, the provincial Historical Society has been operating it as a museum dedicated to the city's Loyalist roots. The Loyalist House was also designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1963 for its New England-influenced architecture.
Hours of operation are 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on weekdays until June 30. From July 1 to mid-September, Loyalist House is open 7 days a week.