Formal Recognition Type

City of St. John's Heritage Building, Structure, Land or Area

Heritage Value

333 Duckworth Street has been designated a municipal heritage site by the City of St. John’s for its aesthetic and historic value.

333 Duckworth Street is aesthetically valuable because it is a rare example of brick Victorian row-buildings in the downtown area of St. John’s. Constructed in brick this house has string courses on the first and second levels. The main entrance is recessed from the road, as is typical for commercial buildings in the downtown area. This entrance has a transom window above the paneled door and a small shed roof overhangs the entrance way. This building also has two dormer windows which are found just above the eaves line, and they have peaked roofs. This building blends in well with its surrounding buildings.

333 Duckworth Street is historically valuable because of its associations with William Howe Greene. This building was the home of Greene who was one of the major architects in the rebuilding of St. John’s after the Great Fire of 1892. Greene was a prolific architect who designed several prominent buildings in the downtown area, but his most famous building is Cabot Tower, located on Signal Hill. Greene joined the Newfoundland Regiment at the onset of WWI and was discharged in 1919 with the rank of Major, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his war services. He was a great patron of the City of St. John’s and the province as a whole and bequeathed art and money as a parting gift to the people of Great Britain.

Source: City of St. John’s Archives property files – 333 Duckworth Street.

Character Defining Elements

All elements of the Victorian Style of architecture, including:

-peaked dormer windows;

-mansard roof;

-recessed doorway;

-red brick construction;

-size, shape, placement and decoration of windows;

-original door with transom, and;

-decorative string courses first and second floors.

Community

St. John's

Municipality

City of St. John's

Civic Address

333 Duckworth Street

Construction (circa)

1892 - 1895

Builder

Unknown, William Howe Greene

Style

Rectangular Short Façade