Duart Hall
by Janet Henry Murdoch
December 17, 1980
The Murdoch house is often known as Duart Hall which dates back to when the McLean family occupied the dwelling. Duart is the ancestral home of the McLeans in Northern Scotland, on the Isle of the Mull.
The structure itself is basically rectangular in shape with a smaller addition at one end. The white of the exterior contrasts with the black trim around the windows, and the bright yellow doors give it a character all its own. Sitting on the pitched roof with hipped ends and between the two red brick chimneys is the outstanding unique feature of the house, the cupola. It is believed that it served as an air vent when the residence was first built as a barn. From it one has a clear view of the surrounding properties and Kennebecasis River. Another oddity of the building is the round attic windows with the glass panes specially fit for them. The imposing facade makes the home appear larger then it actually is. The front verandah is an interesting piece of architecture with its decorated supports, while railing and roof design lend a pleasant air to the residence.
It is hard to imagine that this house was first built as a barn sometime after the Intercolonial Railway was laid down. As a barn, it probably served the purpose of keeping the steeds and carriage horses who owners rode to the Rothesay Train Station and took the rail into Saint john where the businesses were. It is hard to determine who built the original structure but it was probably either Charles Drury or Richard Simonds.
Around the turn of the century it appears that with a change of owner the building took on a change in appearance too. It was renovated extensively on the inside and outside to become the annex of the Belleview Hotel, today the Slattery house. Its main task now was to handle the summer overflow as the work tired businessmen and their families sought an escape from heavy, smog-laden air of the city. Of course, to attract guests, even at the that time, various recreational activities were an asset. On the front lawn evidence that it had once been a tennis court can still be seen. Sunday picnics on the property also proved to be popular and anyone wanting to contemplate or just enjoy the scenery could meander along the walkways. Carriage rides and a beach down in Rothesay Park were also provided.
In renovating the old barn it was divided into a sitting room, diningroom, livingroom, breakfast room, kitchen, pantry, several bedrooms, and a suite of two large bedrooms joined by what is now the master bedroom. Electricity allowed the serviced room each to have a small bell which alerted the hotel staff in the kitchen. The addition at one end of the building was presumably built on during this house period and housed maid’s quarters upstairs and a large kitchen downstairs. Later on, with the planned visit of the Prince of Wales in 1919, a compact bathroom was added downstairs in what had been the butler’s pantry.
The ceilings of the former annex are not as high as those in the Slattery House and the front hall is more like a room than a huge hallway. Dark oak stained beams supporting the ceiling give it a somewhat grand air. The living and dining room both have border designs around he ceilings while high baseboards are present in all rooms.
After the Belleview Hotel became the government house for New Brunswick while William Pugsley was Lieutenant Governor, Duart Hall also became a residence for the Pugsley family until 1926 when it was bought by the parents of Edward McLean.
As a boy Mr. McLean can recall when the back porch was a pantry and the backyard fenced in. The breakfast room was still present and his father enjoyed his cup of coffee in the privacy it afforded early in the morning. Mr. MacLean’s mother once kept a pair of monkeys there, but one night they seemed to lose any respect they had for their owner and completely demolished everything in their grasp. Back then. a swinging door separated the dining room and the kitchen now the playroom. Some of the more unpleasant memories of Ted McLean were the jobs of shoveling coal and cleaning the furnace out as well as the strict bedtime of 8:00 p.m. even when he was sixteen!
One story related to me as I talked with Mr. Mclean in the comfortable family room of his house on Rothesay Road, was how he and his brother used to sneak through the former maid’s quarters, climb out of the window onto the garage and shimmy down the old cedars planted as a wind break and push the family car down Station Road where they’d wait for the night train from Saint John to muffle the noise of the car as it got started. They’d travel into the city to have a good time and return after midnight to the quiet house. Once inside again they had to wait for the grandfather clock on the second landing to chime in the house and allow them to creep upstairs unheard. While he and his brother attended Rothesay Collegiate School, Mr. McLean’s parents often hosted parties on the front lawn but the boy’s socializing was watched carefully. Neighbours at that time included Pollard Lewin who lived in Youden House at the corner of Station Road and Gondola Point Road, Judge Angelic, the Gilbert family and Colonel Wood who occupied the three adjoining houses on the lane, the Pugsleys who lived in Slattery House and Mr. Coffey who owned the Satalic House on Station Road. Back then a man by the name of Fishy Gillen, a fish monger, would come around selling his supply door-to-door every Friday.
Edward McLean fondly reminisced about the Christmases in his home when friends dropped by and Clifford McAvity played Santa Clause for all the kids present, handing out gifts to everyone. Once this was accomplished the grown-ups proceeded to the living room and merrymaking of their own while the children filled the family room with giggles, wrapping paper and happy exclamations of surprise as gift after gift was uncovered. At an age where one begins to questioning the existence of Santa Clause, Ted McLean remembers leaving the clamour produced by his friends to peek on his parents party where he saw ‘Santa Clause’ with his beard lifted up to drink a “cup of good cheer”!
While Edward was involved in World War II his parents sold the property. After this the house had a number of owners. At one point three families shared the house and the interior suffered because of the divisions required.
The last owner before the Murdoch family took over, was Mrs. Mart C.A. LeClair. The former kitchen was repainted with pictures of Donald Duck and his nephews Hughie, Dewie and Louie; Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, Jinx the cat and other comic characters which can still be seen today. Mrs. LeClair’s intentions were to the room as a kindergarten whether or not her dreams were realized is not known. While she occupied the premises she had a couple of boarding upstairs using the former maid’s rooms, one of which a small kitchenette was installed. However, due largely to a personal problem Mrs. LeClair was forced to sell to its latest owner, Mr. J.W.H. Murdoch in December, 1964.
With some determination and a lot of sweat the Murdochs cleared away the briar patch, which is now the vegetable garden; removed the bushes and cedars from the slopes of the driveway; removed a dangerous, falling down gazebo which faced the river at the end of the front lawn; and cleared off most of the hill in front of Station Road. Renovation has taken place inside and out but nothing has drastically or noticeably changed the appearance of the home.
Duart Hall has been around now for almost one- hundred and twenty five years. It stands as a testament to its original builder and proves a point; that quality makes the difference.
