The Count DeBury Residence is recognized as a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for being the residence of Count Robert DeBury. The Count DeBury Residence is noted for its high quality, which is representative of its residents' prestigious social standing. It was built in a luxurious Second Empire style, with an elaborate front facade and sixteen rooms at the time of construction.

The Count DeBury Residence is named after Count Robert Visart DeBury, who is also the namesake of Visart Street in Saint John. Count Robert Visart DeBury was a Belgian nobleman born in 1848 in Bury, Belgium. As a civil engineer and a graduate of the Wurttemberg School of Technology, Count DeBury worked for the Orleans Railway Company. He was also enlisted by the government of Wurtemberg to survey the Black Forest Railway. In 1869, Count DeBury married Lucy Simonds of Saint John and ordered a house in 1875 on land that was owned by Lucy's father, Henry G. Simonds. From then on, Count DeBury spent his time between Saint John and his original home in Bury.

Much of Count DeBury's family is notable as well. Two of his relatives played a major role in 16th-century Belgian politics. In the mid-1700s, Colonel Francis Visart de Soleilleval was granted the title of Count by the Empress Maria Theresa for his military service. Additionally, Count DeBury's great uncle, Field Marshall de Chasteler, defeated Napoleon's army in 1809 and later served as Governor of Venice. On a darker note, in 1851, when Robert was just three years old, Robert's father, Hippolyte Visart de Bocarmé, was infamously convicted and subsequently executed for fatally poisoning his brother-in-law in a bid to steal the man's inheritance.

Robert's children also played important roles in Saint John's history. His son, Lieutenant Colonel Count Henry R. Visart DeBury, is recognized for his outstanding military service. One of Robert's daughters (name unknown) was a highly talented painter. In 1897, one of her paintings was given to St. Pete's Church and was blessed by its clergymen.