The James Peters Jr. Residence
Built in 1827
Summary
General Information
This building was constructed circa 1827 by the Honourable Charles Jeffrey Peters as a residence for his eldest son James Junior.
Charles Jeffrey Peters, who became Attorney-General of New Brunswick in 1828, was a son of James Peters, one of "The Fifty-five" Loyalist Agents who emigrated from New England in 1783; James Peters eventually settled at Gagetown on the St. John River.
The James Peters Jr. Residence is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with the Loyalist Peters family and for its cultural status as landmark in the city of Saint John.
www.HistoricPlaces.ca
Illustration by Jennifer Jeffery
First owner
Charles Jeffrey Peters
According to Rev. Dr. W. O. Raymond (1920) in Peters’ Hill and Paddock’s Field, Charles Jeffrey Peters came to New Brunswick with the Loyalists in 1783 at the age of ten. He studied law with Ward Chipman and was admitted to practice in either 1791 or 1794 (sources differ). Peters was married twice and had a total of 21 children.
The Honourable Charles Jeffrey Peters was appointed Attorney General of New Brunswick in 1828 and held the office until his death in 1848, during which time he earned the largest income of any member of the bar in the province.
While living in Saint John, he built several houses, the most notable being his residence on Coburg Street, known as the Peters House or “Stone House,” later the Hatheway House, and currently the home of the Knights of Columbus, which was constructed in 1819.
The Honourable Charles Jeffrey Peters
Builder/Architect
John Cunningham
Petitioned for land in New Brunswick on March 8, 1818, with fellow Scotsmen and a Welshman, indicating that he had partly resided in New Brunswick over the previous five years.
He settled permanently in Saint John in 1818 and became a freeman of the City of Saint John the same year, initially listed as a labourer. By 1821, he was advertised as a stonecutter and mason.
Notable Projects:
• “Stone House” for Charles Jeffrey Peters (1819): Attributed to Cunningham as builder/architect; executed with stone imported from England.
• Henry Gilbert Residence (1822): Recognized as one of the most elaborate houses built in Canada at the time.
• Bank of New Brunswick building (1826).
• Saint John Court House (1824–1828): Won design competition; supervised construction; collaborated with Robert Barbour on stonework and staircase.
• 40 Coburg Residence: Credibly attributed to Cunningham; showcases his expertise in stone masonry and architectural design.
The Court House
Materials & Style
Construction of Residence
No primary sources have been found to verify the exact timing of the construction of this residence.
Various materials, however, supports the conclusion that it was constructed in the 1820s by Charles Jeffrey Peters following the completion of his own residence.
This conclusion is based on Dr. William Hunt’s panoramic view of Saint John, which was publicly available by 1828 and shows the house already completed.
Materials included stone for the front addition and brick masonry for the rear.
The residence displays elements of symmetry, proportion, and classical detailing characteristic of Neoclassical architecture.
The Northern and Eastern Panoramic View of St. John, Dr. William Henry Hunt, 1828
The building’s changes over time
40 Coburg, before 1980
The property changed hands many times since 1833, starting with the Peters family, then John Hammond (merchant), Abraham J. Coburn & Harvey Garcelon, Hartwell B. Crosby (Master Builder/Architect), Admiral William F. Owen and Amy Owen, and later several physicians including William F. Coleman, Murdock Fraser Bruce, and Alban F. Emery. It remained with the Isaacs family from 1922 until 1980.
Initially, 40 Coburg would have been heated by fireplaces, with two on each of the three main living levels. At some point hot water heating was introduced using cast iron radiators and probably a
coal-burning furnace; the cast iron radiators remain to this day.
Originally, the property had a “Brick House” with a wooden annex.
By the late 1880s, Dr. Murdock Fraser Bruce added two extensions: a single-storey addition at the front (used as a medical office) and a two-storey addition at the rear, designed to match the original house in style and materials.
Ink and wash drawing of the entrance to 40 Coburg, Saint John artist Lynn Wigginton