73, 75 and 77 Water Street is an 1893-1900 wooden, brick and stone warehouse/ commercial building that extends along east Water Street in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The building occupies three civic addresses, is bound on one side by Gill’s Cove, on the rear by the St. John’s Harbour and wharf/ parking lot and on the front by Water Street. The designation is confined to the footprint of the entire structure.
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
73, 75 and 77 Water Street was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2008 for its aesthetic and historic values.
73, 75 and 77 Water Street has aesthetic value due to its design. Built in 1893 following the Great Fire of 1892, the structure was erected using brick and stone. The Great Fire consumed much of St. John’s’ wooden buildings, leaving devastation and ruin. New laws implemented rules for reconstruction using more durable materials. The structure located at 73, 75 and 77 Water Street was built within these guidelines. However, the interior beams reveal strong, thick timbers that support the heavy walls. Three separate civic addresses are encompassed within the building, and they can be clearly seen on the exterior finishes. A unique, curving, brick stringcourse runs the length of the building, while embossed brick dentils and an eaves band tops the main façade – each address has a different brick treatment. The buildings are further separated by pilasters that extend above the roof in a decorative peaked top. A sill moulding carries across the entire front façade, adding elegance to an otherwise industrial building. The original arched window openings with wide sills and recessed storefront doorways have remained. The roof is flat and cannot be seen from the road. Due to its location on the harbour front, the property is one storey on the front, and two storeys at the rear, following the slope of the land.
73, 75 and 77 Water Street has further aesthetic value for its location. Situated in the historically industrial area of Water Street east, this property resonates with the commercial atmosphere of harbour front businesses. It is located in close proximity to several historic buildings and sites, notably the War Memorial, King George V Building, the Crows Nest and the S.O. Steele Building. 73, 75 and 77 Water Street adds to the cultural landscape of the area by contributing to a cluster of historic buildings and sites. The 1893 building has been a part of the local viewscape for over one hundred years and is visible in early images, particularly those associated with the War Memorial.
In 1893 the building was owned by merchant firm W&G Rendell, started by brothers George and William Rendell. W&G Rendell were general and commission merchants and insurance agents for Phoenix Fire Insurance, the office for which was operated out of the western part of the building, now 77 Water Street. George Rendell was also a politician who supported the Reform Party and was a member of the Legislative Council for 21 years, beginning in 1888. George Rendell’s daughter, Margaret Alexandra Rendell, was the first Newfoundland-born professionally trained nurse and was the matron of the General Hospital in St. John’s. Margaret would later marry politician George Shea, who served as the first mayor of St. John’s and an MHA and cabinet minister. Besides being Newfoundland’s first professionally trained nurse, Margaret was one of the first women in Newfoundland to obtain a driver’s license.
73, 75, and 77 Water Street was utilized as a wholesale liquor store, an insurance office, and as lumber, paint, and hardware warehouses throughout its history. Later retailers include J.B. Mitchell and Son, who operated a wholesale grocery warehouse from 73, 75, and 77 Water Street from the 1930s to the 1960s. J.B. Mitchell and Son was a brokerage agency started by John B. Mitchell, which was later taken over by his son Harold Mitchell in 1920. Harold Mitchell was a WWI veteran wounded at Gallipoli and was one of the founders and first president of the Great War Veterans Association and was elected MHA for Trinity South. John B. Mitchell’s wife, Anna Mary (Barnes) Mitchell, was a key suffragist in Newfoundland in the 1920s and co-founder of the “Votes for Women” campaign.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “St. John’s – 73, 75 and 77 Water Street – FPT 4355”
Character Defining Elements
Those historic, industrial-style elements that characterize the building, including:
-construction in wood, stone and brick;
-exterior parging, painted;
-brick decorative details, including the curving stringcourse, dentils, sill moulding and pilasters;
-original window and door openings;
-existing original window sills;
-one-storey construction on the main façade; two-storey construction at the rear;
-flat roof;
-all other remaining original architectural elements; and
-location in historic area of Water Street, backing on the St. John’s Harbour.
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