Saint John sentinel of culture still grand at 105
Published Saturday July 11th, 2009
More than a century after Andrew Carnegie financed a free public library in the Port City, the red sandstone building endures as a monument to the philanthropist's belief in the enriching power of culture and learning.
In a city renowned for its deeply rooted institutions, triple-digit anniversaries may seem almost routine, but on June 24 a very special building reached a milestone that would make George Burns smile; the Saint John Arts Centre - a.k.a. the Carnegie Building - tuned 105.
Originally opened to an enthusiastic Saint John public in 1904, the red sandstone Free Public Library was a significant gift from American philanthropist extraordinaire Andrew Carnegie. After making his fortune in the steel industry, Carnegie retired from business life as the richest man in the world. Seized by an enormous desire to have his wealth improve the world, by the time of his death in 1919, Carnegie had given away over $350 million to build museums, universities, concert halls (ever heard of Carnegie Hall?) and more than 2,500 free public libraries worldwide.
Carnegie believed these libraries were a critical way of opening minds through education and culture, and that such opportunities for the individual led to the well-being of society.
While the distinguished edifice on Hazen Avenue has had several functions since the library relocated to Market Square in 1983, the Carnegie Building has never wavered in its calling as a sentinel of culture at the core of the Port City. Through its roles as the Aitken Bicentennial Exhibition Centre and, since 2002, the Saint John Arts Centre, its architectural charms have been the backdrop to artistic, educational and cultural programming for all ages.
While there were once 125 Carnegie buildings in Canada, there are only seven remaining, so ours should be jealously protected as a priceless and endangered species.
Built with a donation of $50,000 (well over $3-million today), the building was designed through an international competition that saw 18 architects from across Canada and the United States submit plans. It is said a proposal from a New York architect was rejected for its plan to use white limestone for the exterior in a city noted for its sooty chimneys.
The winning design was by gifted Saint John architect G. Ernest Fairweather, who proposed a symmetrical Beaux-Arts Classical design heavily influenced by the architecture of Italian Renaissance villas. While the Beaux-Arts style was a grand and commanding means of expressing the status of civic buildings and monuments at the turn of the century, it also stressed coherence, reason and a clear geometrical plan.
Fairweather's design is simple yet formal, with stone ionic pilasters enclosing the heavily carved arched entry and granite staircase.
The rest of the building is a sophisticated and well-proportioned exercise in red brick, copper roofing and ornate stonework. The latter is among the finest in the province, with its rusticated base, window keystones and elaborate pediment proudly displaying the completion date of 1904 in Roman numerals below the eclectic Saint John city crest, with its fish, beavers, trees and ships. The octagonal copper cupola with its lovely green patina is a perfect counterpoint to the red tones of the structure below. A crowning beacon atop its rocky uptown Saint John outcrop, the cupola has since been adopted as the arts centre's logo.
The interior plan is lucid and efficient. After entering through a small vestibule, one is awed by a wonderful domed rotunda atrium capped with a huge, multi-coloured stained glass skylight designed by Frank Reardon of Halifax.
To either side of the atrium are three large galleries (originally reading rooms) that still have their original fireplace mantelpieces - one in wood and one in terra-cotta. The second floor's former offices and support rooms have since become intimate galleries surrounding a rarely seen magical space: the brick and wood lantern area between the rooftop skylight and the atrium's stained-glass skylight below.
The execution of the building wasn't just practical and beautiful, but symbolic, as well: Carnegie favoured staircases leading up to library entrances as a metaphor for people elevating themselves through reading. He saw the central skylight over the vaulted lobby reinforcing the idea that enlightenment could be found within.
The building's vibrant and colourful tile floor is impeccable in its original condition. Greek Revival ornament flows though the main atrium's mosaic floor, while the vestibule contains rare Minton encaustic tiles from Stoke-upon-Trent, England. Not to rest on its Victorian decorative laurels, the Carnegie Building has two notable examples of recent public art by Saint John artists: James Boyd's 2001 granite sculpture Fiddlehead decorates the main façade, while Fred Ross's large painting A Delancey's Encampment has hung in the lobby since 1985.
While the Saint John Arts Centre is slated to become a focal point of the proposed Peel Plaza project, a serious alarm bell should be sounding to the citizens of Saint John. A proposed plan to bury much of the building to accommodate a costly tunnel option for the police station and justice complex next door would seriously damage the architecture and integrity of the Carnegie Building. As the debate continues between the public and the city as to the development costs of the area, avoiding the $1-million-plus figure of this questionable element would be a good place to save a lot of money and salvage a treasure.
Mr. Carnegie, on behalf of a province you never visited, thank you ever so much. Your gift remains a vital part of the cultural and architectural life of greater Saint John. We look forward to celebrating many more birthdays.
John Leroux is an architect and art historian who lives in Fredericton. He can be reached at johnnyleroux@hotmail.com.w
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