This 1 ½-storey wood frame dwelling is situated at 118 Grey Street between Waterloo Row and University Avenue.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of this 1922 dwelling resides in the prominence of original owner, Abner B. Belyea, and in its Craftsman-related architecture. Born in Gagetown, Queens County, and educated in Fredericton, Abner Belyea obtained a business degree before enlisting in the First World War. One of the first to volunteer for overseas duty, Abner Belyea enlisted in September 1914, serving four years in France. A gunner in the 1st Canadian Divisional Ammunition Column, Belyea served at Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele. Corporal Belyea was discharged in February 1919.
With a return to civilian life, Belyea worked for the Comptroller’s Office and a year later he was appointed Receiver of Revenue for the Province of New Brunswick. He resigned in 1922 to open his own insurance office, which remains in operation. Belyea was also associated with Odell Construction, a firm which was responsible for building Sunshine Gardens.
Belyea served as President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 4, in Fredericton. In 1936, Belyea attended the unveiling of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France by King Edward III. During the 1939 Royal Tour, Abner Belyea was presented to King George and Queen Elizabeth at the Legislature in Fredericton. This Royal Tour was particularly significant as it was the first visit to Canada by a reigning monarch.
Abner Belyea was known to recite the poem “Lonely Watches” by Frederick George Scott. His great-grandson, Kevin Belyea, honoured his grandfather’s tradition by doing the same upon the occasion of the 93rd anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, celebrate at the Fredericton Cenotaph in April 2010.
Character-Defining Elements
Character-defining elements identified for the dwelling located at 118 Grey Street include:
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1 ½-storey wood frame dwelling
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Craftsman style design with wood shingle cladding
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Medium pitch gable roof and open rafter overhangs with no soffits
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Open front porch, with low pitched gable roof
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Large rectangular 6-over-1 single hung windows (often ganged) and smaller piano windows on either side of chimney
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Large shed dormer window