McAdam Canadian Pacific Railway Station

GENERAL

Alternate Titles

McAdam Train Station

Type / Purpose

Railway Station, Hotel, and Dining Facilities

Location

92 Saunders Road, McAdam, York County, New Brunswick, E6J 1L2

Description

The McAdam Canadian Pacific Railway Station is a massive and elaborate Chateau-style railway station and hotel located beside the old Canadian Pacific Railway in McAdam

Heritage Value

The McAdam Canadian Pacific Railway Station is notable for its history and its elaborate Chateau architecture.
During the early 20th century, numerous stations were erected across Canada to capitalize on the success of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The McAdam Station is now one of the few still standing and provides a great deal of insight into this era of Canadian history. 

The building's design was developed by famed architect Edward Maxwell in 1899 and was constructed over the course of the following two years by contractor Joseph McVay. The building cost $30,000, but it quickly paid off as McAdam became one of the busiest New Brunswick stations. In particular, trains that were travelling between Montreal and the Maritimes and from St. Stephen to Edmundston often frequented the station. During the railway's heyday, upwards of 16 trains would stop at the station daily.

To both cope with and capitalize on the high number of daily visitors, the McAdam Station offered facilities for dining and hospitality. The second floor of the station housed a five-star hotel, while the lunch counter on the ground floor could serve 1200 meals on the station's busiest days. Of particular note were the station's pies, which were renown for their quality.

Various additions were later made to improve the station's efficiency. A man-made pool was dug next to the station early on to provide the station and visitors with water. Furthermore, in 1910, a pair of wings were added to the building to increase the capacity of dining, hotel, and baggage-holding facilities, and in 1931, a small booster station was constructed nearby to house equipment for strengthening telegraph and commercial wireless signals.

Lastly, the station is important for its architecture. Most stations along the C.P.R. were built in the Chateau style, and this one is no exception. In fact, the McAdam Station provides a particularly grandiose example of Chateau-style architecture. The three-story-tall structure dominates the landscape. The exterior is made of locally quarried stone and is topped with a steep, hipped roof.

Heritage Recognition

National Historic Site of Canada (1976/06/15)
Provincial Heritage Place (2003/09/12)
Canada’s Register of Historic Places (2007/01/23)

ARCHITECTURE

Date of Construction

1900

Character Defining Elements

Exterior:
- Grandiose very long three-storey Chateau-style massing
- Façade of locally quarried granite
- Steep hipped gable roof with overhanging eaves
- 18 stone-gabled dormers
- Wide overhanging eaves over the walkway and entrances
- Large side tower with spire
- Regular 6/6 fenestration

Interior:
- Hotel rooms on second floor
- Lunch counter and dining hall on ground floor
- Various other service areas, such as sex-segregated waiting rooms, ticket and telegraph office, Canada customs and immigration offices, baggage storage, and mail rooms
- Single jail cell
- Original millwork, such as newel posts, pilasters, wainscotting and baseboard
- Collection of railway artifacts

Surroundings:
- Six-acre manmade pool
- Booster station
- Railway tracks

Additions/Major Alterations

The building was expanded in 1910, with two wings being added to increase the capacity of dining, hotel and baggage-holding facilities. In 1930, a booster station was erected on the property.

Builder/Building Company

Tompkins and Co., Contractor Joseph McVey, St. Stephen, Stone and Mason Work

Architect/Designer

Edward Maxwell; W. H. Painter

OWNERSHIP HISTORY

Current Owner

Village of McAdam, maintained by the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission

Other Occupants

Miss Edith E. Quinn

SOURCES AND DOCUMENTS

Links/Related Content Photos
McAdam Train Station, photographed by the Province of New Brunswick, image taken from historicplaces.ca.

Sources Contributors

Shawna Cyr-Calder, Gabrielle Byrne

Copyright 2023
A Ginger Design