MARK ALLAN GREENE

By 1851, Saint John had grown to be the third largest city in British North America. Home to thriving shipbuilding and lumber-exporting industries it was a vibrant port city and had the world’s fourth-largest accumulation of vessels. An economic depression in the 1870s was hard on the city, but nothing prepared residents for the disaster on June 20, 1877.

​

A sudden enormous fire swept through the busy centre of Saint John over nine hours. It destroyed almost half the city and left 13,000 residents homeless and livelihoods destroyed.

​

But the rebuild was swift, with fire prevention at the forefront of design and construction. By 1881, Saint John was reborn, stronger and more beautiful than ever.

​

This book, incorporating a collection of more than 120 archival images, tells the story in words and pictures of the rise, destruction and rebuilding of the city.