The J.C. Risteen Company built this dwelling for J. Stewart Neil in 1908. This 2 ½-storey house, which fronts on Waterloo Row, is situated between Grey and Alexandra Streets.
Heritage Value
CFNB, the first Radio Station in the Maritimes, was born in the parlor of 212 Waterloo Row in January 1922. J. Stewart Neill had this dwelling built for himself and his new bride, and they moved into this house early in 1909. J. Stewart Neill, son of successful hardware merchant James S. Neill, worked in the family business on Queen Street. It was in his father’s hardware store that J. Stewart Neill heard the first radio broadcasts.
Radio had its official Canadian debut in Montreal in November 1920, and in July 1922 the Neill Hardware Store premiered a series of radio concerts. The store soon opened a Radio Department, making radio receivers available to the public. On January 12, 1923, J. Stewart Neill began broadcasting across the airwaves, with the benefit of a 10 watt transmitter, from his family home. What began as a hobby for J. Stewart Neill quickly transformed into a media sensation.
When J. Stewart Neill began broadcasting in 1922, there were only five households in Fredericton with radio receivers. Neill’s radio premiere went unnoticed by the local press, surprising given the coverage of broadcasts emanating from his father’s hardware store. His programming originally consisted of playing music from a gramophone with the aid of a microphone. These self-generated concerts were interspersed with J. Stewart Neill’s own commentary. Initially, he broadcast for only a few hours each day, but demand and improving technology prompted him to expand his programming.
The Neill family lived their lives in silence and on tip-toe while CFNB was housed in their Waterloo Row home. The family perfected their own form of sign language to communicate with Neill and with each other. Finally in 1927, CFNB moved from the Neill home to 69 York Street, testifying to the growing popularity and professionalism of this radio station.
Known by the call letters, CFNB, (Canada, Fredericton, New Brunswick) this pioneer radio station was located at 550 on the a.m. dial. Its success swift, CFNB would long be identified as “New Brunswick’s most listened to station.”
J. Stewart Neill not only pioneered radio broadcasting in the Maritimes, but he was also the first to sell commercial time to both the provincial and federal governments. This type of sponsorship and support facilitated Neill’s pioneering efforts to include farm broadcasting.
J. Stewart Neill would eventually surrender the reigns of power at CFNB, and his son Malcolm Neill would become General Manager of the radio station. J. Stewart Neill would even named Police Commissioner for the City of Fredericton in 1947.
CFNB finally went off the air in 1996.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with this dwelling at 212 Waterloo Row include:
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2 ½-storey wood frame construction
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Hip roof
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Large rectangular windows
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Dormer window on three sides of dwelling
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Triangular pediment surmounting front entrance
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Enclosed porch, with sun porch located on the south facing side of dwelling