219 King Street - Parr Division
Kingsbrae Arms is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its association with noted Chinese authority, Florence Ayscough, and for its distiguished reputation as a hotel.
Kingsbrae Arms is recognized for its architecture. It is a good example of a Queen Anne residential building from the late 19th century in St. Andrews. It was built in 1897 for Thomas Wheelock. The building is distinguished by its high pitched gable roofs and asymmetry. The property is distinguished by the sweeping garden that overlooks the Bay of Fundy. It is one of many buildings that were built for wealthy summer residents who were attracted to St. Andrews near the beginning of the 20th Century.
Kingsbrae Arms is also recognized for its association with Florence Ayscough. Her father, Thomas Wheelock, lived in Shanghai, China for many years where he was a successful merchant. He owned a fleet of cargo boats which went to the mouth of the Yangtze to load and unload large foreign ships. The home was inherited by his daughter. She lived in Shanghai with her husband where she became an international authority on the customs and traditions of the Chinese people. Accurate translations of the meaning and spirit of Chinese poetry were provided in America by Florence Ayscough and poet Amy Lowell. Through the effort of both poet and translator Chinese poetry, mythology, and history be- came a source of inspiration for creative writers in the western world. She published many books on various Chinese subjects, most notably, “Firecracker Land – Pictures of the Chinese World for Younger Reader” (1932). She also brought Chinese servants to St. Andrews. Ayscough donated the St. Andrews Tea House to the town of St. Andrews and in her will she left the Charlotte County Historical Society Chinese porcelain, screens, tables, jade vases, and other artefacts which had been in this home.
The building was extensively remodelled in 1995 to its current use as a hotel, becoming the first 5 Star Hotel in Canada. In 2004, Fodor’s Travel Publications, America’s market leader in travel information, listed it among the top 20 hotels in the world.
The character-defining elements include:
The character-defining elements that describe the collection of artefacts relating to the original owners’ passion for the orient include:
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Other Names: Topside
Source: St. Andrews Civic Trust - Charlotte County Archives, St. Andrews, NB.
Kingsbrae Arms is recognized for its architecture. It is a good example of a Queen Anne residential building from the late 19th century in St. Andrews. It was built in 1897 for Thomas Wheelock. The building is distinguished by its high pitched gable roofs and asymmetry. The property is distinguished by the sweeping garden that overlooks the Bay of Fundy. It is one of many buildings that were built for wealthy summer residents who were attracted to St. Andrews near the beginning of the 20th Century.
Kingsbrae Arms is also recognized for its association with Florence Ayscough. Her father, Thomas Wheelock, lived in Shanghai, China for many years where he was a successful merchant. He owned a fleet of cargo boats which went to the mouth of the Yangtze to load and unload large foreign ships. The home was inherited by his daughter. She lived in Shanghai with her husband where she became an international authority on the customs and traditions of the Chinese people. Accurate translations of the meaning and spirit of Chinese poetry were provided in America by Florence Ayscough and poet Amy Lowell. Through the effort of both poet and translator Chinese poetry, mythology, and history be- came a source of inspiration for creative writers in the western world. She published many books on various Chinese subjects, most notably, “Firecracker Land – Pictures of the Chinese World for Younger Reader” (1932). She also brought Chinese servants to St. Andrews. Ayscough donated the St. Andrews Tea House to the town of St. Andrews and in her will she left the Charlotte County Historical Society Chinese porcelain, screens, tables, jade vases, and other artefacts which had been in this home.
The building was extensively remodelled in 1995 to its current use as a hotel, becoming the first 5 Star Hotel in Canada. In 2004, Fodor’s Travel Publications, America’s market leader in travel information, listed it among the top 20 hotels in the world.
The character-defining elements include:
- 2 ½ asymmetrical massing;
- high pitched gabled roofs;
- portico;
- entrance with sidelights and fanlight;
- one-storey bay window;
- placement of windows in central façade.
The character-defining elements that describe the collection of artefacts relating to the original owners’ passion for the orient include:
- gilded artefacts from a Chinese temple;
- pair of Chinese rosewood student chairs.
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Other Names: Topside
Source: St. Andrews Civic Trust - Charlotte County Archives, St. Andrews, NB.
