Formal Recognition Type

Registered Heritage Structure

Heritage Value

Squires Barn and Carriage House were designated Registered Heritage Structures by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001 because of their historical, cultural and aesthetic value.

Squires Barn and Carriage House have historic value because of their association with Newfoundland’s agricultural and horticultural history. The Mount Scio Road area was settled by farmers who produced food for local consumption, particularly for St. John’s and surrounding area. This section of the city is associated with a farming way of life that proved prosperous in the early twentieth century and allowed the colony a degree of self-sufficiency in terms of agricultural production.

Squires Barn and Carriage House have cultural value as they stand as physical reminders of agricultural St. John’s in the early 20th century. The Mount Scio Road area was once a rural community of farmers on the outskirts of St. John’s. Above the bustle of St. John’s, farmhouses, outbuildings, gardens, fields and livestock peppered the landscape. Squires Barn and Carriage House remain as important components of the cultural landscape in an area quickly being developed as a residential zone.

Squires Barn and Carriage House have aesthetic value as they are among the oldest farm buildings in the St. John’s area still in their original condition and location. Dating from the early twentieth century, these structures were built to serve a utilitarian function and were thus constructed from rough materials with minimal detailing. The cellar made from rough field stone, and the variety of window shapes and styles used, speak to the purposes of such structures and the builder’s practical concerns.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “St. John’s – Squires Barn and Carriage House – FPT 1713”

Character Defining Elements

All elements that reflect the buildings’ simple vernacular design and utilitarian usage including:
-original form, scale and massing of buildings;
-shed roofs;
-number of storeys;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-dimension, location and orientation of buildings.

Community

St. John's

Municipality

City of St. John's

Civic Address

315-317 Mount Scio Road

Construction (circa)

1917 - 1925

Builder

Joseph Squires

Style

Other