Uptown Saint John

Our Uptown geosite encompasses the entirety of Uptown Saint John. Within this area you will find various outcrops representing the local geology as well as a local building stone used in the construction of many of the buildings in addition to countless cultural sites. Visit our Seasonal Interpretation Centre at the Area 506 Container Village from July to October (85 Water Street).

Uptown Saint John is built mostly on Cambrian rocks first described in detail in the 1880s by local geologist George Matthew. At the south end of the Uptown peninsula there are volcanic rocks of the Precambrian to Cambrian age, and Upper Carboniferous rocks along the shore. Outcrops can be seen scattered around the Uptown area, below buildings and along sidewalks. Cambrian rocks are visible on Canterbury Street near the corner of Princess Street, or behind the Courthouse east of Kings Square.

Uptown Saint John provides other opportunities to explore geology. Many of the older buildings are built of New Brunswick stone. In particular, buildings constructed immediately after the Great Fire of 1877 are interesting. Fire destroyed over 1600 structures south of King Street in June 1877. The city was quickly rebuilt, especially the commercial district along Prince William and King Streets. By this time the Province had a flourishing building stone industry and many new buildings in Saint John were constructed of sandstone from southeastern New Brunswick, granite from Hampstead and Charlotte County, and local marble.

Be sure to look up when exploring the geology of Uptown Saint John. Many of the most interesting features are the sandstone carvings around windows and doorways. Sandstone is a relatively soft material and it was used extensively to create decorative elements on buildings. Try counting the animals on the Palatine Building on Prince William Street. Red and black ‘granite’ is much harder and was used to make colourful pillars. The St. George granite industry in Charlotte County had only just begun a few years before the Great Fire. You can sometimes tell pre- and post- fire buildings by the use of St. George granite.

The area has been the home of peoples of the Wabanaki Confederacy for thousands of years. The northwestern coastal region of the Bay of Fundy has been inhabited by the Passamaquoddy Nation, while the Saint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Wolastoqiyik Nation. The Mi’kmaq also ventured into the Saint John area regularly as the harbour and coast was an important hunting ground for seals. The area around the harbour, where the city is, has been traditionally called Menahkwesk by the Wolastoqiyik people.

Samuel de Champlain landed in the Saint John Harbour in 1604, though he did not settle the area. Saint John was a key area for trade and defence for Acadia during the French colonial era. Fort La Tour in the city’s harbour, was a pivotal battleground during the Acadian Civil War. The region was conquered by the British after a century of English and French warfare. After being incorporated as a city in 1785 with an influx of Black and White British Loyalists from the northern of the former Thirteen Colonies and also immigrants from Ireland and Italy, the city grew as a global hub for shipping and shipbuilding.

Stonehammer Visitor Centre, Three Sisters Lamp, Tin Can Beach, Jewish Historical Museum, King Square, Loyalist House, Saint John Police Museum, Fort Howe, Place Fort Latour.