Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site of Canada
Saint John, New Brunswick
General view
© Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada.
Address :
454 Whipple Street, Saint John, New Brunswick
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1930-05-16
Dates:
-
1812 to 1815
(Construction)
-
1941 to 1948
(Significant)
Event, Person, Organization:
-
War of 1812
(Event)
-
First World War
(Event)
-
Second World War
(Event)
Other Name(s):
-
Carleton Martello Tower
(Designation Name)
DFRP Number:
03918 00
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 454 Whipple Street, Saint John, New Brunswick
Construction of this tower was begun by the British Army during the War of 1812 as one of a projected series of fortifications intended to block the western land approach to Saint John. Subsequent to its completion in 1815 the tower was largely neglected, seeing only occasional use in times of emergency, including service as a fire control headquarters in the Second World War. The original structure typifies the English martello tower design, a popular form of coastal defence in the British Isles during the Napoleonic period.
Description of Historic Place
Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site of Canada is a round, stone defence tower erected on a steep, rocky open ground. It is located on Carleton Heights across the harbour from downtown Saint John, New Brunswick. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
Carleton Martello Tower was declared a national historic site of Canada because: it was built for the defence of Saint John during the War of 1812-1814; of its significance as a type of military architecture.
The heritage value of Carleton Martello Tower lies in its construction origins. It was built by the British government between1812 and 1815 to protect Saint John from an American land attack from the West, during the War of 1812. The tower was briefly used for military purposes during World War I.
The heritage value of Carleton Martello Tower also lies in its architectural significance. The original structure is representative of the type of coastal defence used by the British inter alia in the British Isles during the Napoleonic period, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The tower is constituted of round walls, thick at the base, gradually tapering and slopping inward toward the ceiling. A two-storey addition was built on top of the tower in 1941 and it accommodated Saint John harbour defence facilities until 1948.
The heritage value of Carleton Martello Tower lies in its strategic location. Located 68.5 metres above sea level, on Carleton Heights, the tower was erected on the height of land in West Saint John. This location offered viewplanes of the surrounding area surrounding area and seaward.
Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, May 1930, 1981; Commemorative Integrity Statement, 1999.
Character-Defining Elements
Aspects of this Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site of Canada which contribute to its heritage value include:
the squat, conical two-storey massing of the original stone tower; the tower’s symmetry, with circumference and height of equal proportion; the defensive design with a second storey entrance reached by a steep exterior staircase, few windows, bomb-proof construction with thick stone walls, central pillar, vaulted ceiling, and fireproof stone construction materials; the functional interior layout with its interior staircase, lower storey powder magazine and food provision areas; siting on a steep rocky height with unobstructed viewplanes of the downtown Saint John and the harbour to the north and northeast, and of the Bay of Fundy to the east and southeast, as well as other harbour defences including Partridge Island, Courtney Bay Breakwater, Fort Dufferin, Fort Mispec and various searchlight locations.