Description of Historic Place

The building known as Cottage 2 is a double cottage unobtrusively located on the crest of a steep, well-treed hillside overlooking other station buildings and Passamaquody Bay. It is a cottage-like timber structure with a hipped-roof and two detailed verandahs. The exterior walls are clad in cedar shingles. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Cottage 2 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:
Cottage 2, as part of the larger biological station, is associated with Canada’s early commitment to research, management and husbandry of its marine resources. It reflects the need for VIP accommodation and was built to house the Director and the Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries when they visited. A key resident and key figure in Canadian fisheries science and station research policy was Dr. Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman Director from 1916 to 1934.

Architectural Value:
Cottage 2 is a good, modest example of early 20th century cottage architecture and reveals elements of the shingle style. Its simple form, small scale and good quality materials and craftsmanship as seen in the exterior materials express its original residential purpose.

Environmental Value:
Cottage 2 is compatible with the natural picturesque setting on the crest of a wooded hillside. It is also a familiar landmark to those working on site or visiting the station.

Sources:
Mattie Heritage Enterprises, St. Andrews Biological Station, Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 97-103; Cottage 1 and 2, St. Andrews Biological Station, Brandy Cove Road, St Andrews, N.B. Heritage Character Statement 97-103.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Cottage 2 should be respected.

Its early 20th century cottage design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the simple form and low massing of the building; the hipped roof and the two detailed verandahs; the wood construction and the cedar shingle cladding of the exterior walls; the simple treillage of the verandah columns, and the perforated panels at the bases of the columns, the repeating pattern of the balustrade and the detail of the exposed rafter ends; the regular pattern and simple design of the window and door surrounds.

The manner in which Cottage 2 is compatible with the natural picturesque setting and is a familiar landmark as evidenced in: the building’s simple form and rustic materials; the building’s current role as a Conference Centre, belvedere and meeting place for visitors.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The building known as Cottage 1 & 2 was constructed in1916. It was originally intended to house the Director of the St. Andrews Biological Station and the Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries when they visited. It was converted to work space in 1954. The building is currently used as a conference centre by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. See FHBRO Building Report 97-103.

Reasons for Designation

Cottage 1 & 2 has been designated Recognized because of its historical associations, its environmental significance, and also for architectural reasons.

Built in 1916 with subsequent additions and alterations, Cottage 1 & 2 is one of the earliest remaining structures of the St. Andrews Biological Station. It reflects the need for a residence for visiting directors and commissioners in response to the isolated nature of the research station during the early years.

Among the residents of the building, a key figure in influencing fisheries science in Canada was Dr. Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman. Dr. Huntsman served as Director from 1916 to 1934. He is credited with shaping the research philosophies of the St. Andrews station and other stations, and, as Director of the National Fisheries Research Board, decisively influenced fisheries science in Canada.

Not visually dominant (the building sits unobtrusively on the well-treed hillside oriented to Passamaquoddy Bay), the building's visual strengths are in its scale and rusticity. As the Conference Centre and a meeting place for visitors, Cottage 1 & 2 is the welcoming centre and belvedere of St. Andrews Biological Station. As such, it plays an important environmental role.

Distantly related to the Shingle style, Cottage 1 & 2, is more appropriately described as a good example of modest, a-historical cottage architecture. The two detailed and highly finished verandahs are accentuated by the rustic cedar cladding covering the building's simple form.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of Cottage 1 & 2 resides in its early 20th century cottage architecture, with its simple form, its rustic exterior materials, the residential expression of the two verandahs, and its relationship to its sloping site.

The use of wood as the main building material complements the natural features of the site. Materials such as the cedar shingle cladding of the exterior walls have a colour and texture unique to the material. The simple treillage of the verandah columns, the repeated radiating pattern of the balustrade, the perforated panels of the bases of the column configurations, and the detail of the exposed roof rafter ends all express the rusticity of the cottage architecture. The regular pattern and simple design of the window and door surrounds add to this image. The components of the verandahs above the floor level are probably original and should be retained. These materials and details are integral characteristics of the Cottage 1 & 2 and should be protected and maintained. Any further additions or modifications to the building should respect the precedents of material and form of the existing and should not overwhelm its residential cottage scale.

The site still retains some vestiges of its original heavily wooded setting, and these should be preserved. The choice of site on the crest of the slope overlooking the functional buildings of the biological station, and the corresponding views of the bay, point out its importance in its early years as the residence of federal government dignitaries. This prominent position within the campus of the station, with its orientation to the water, should be conserved. In materials and function, Cottage 1 & 2 complements the Residence located at the base of the slope.