Queen Anne Inn - St. Andrews Boys School

I am going to post another image from Charlotte Perkins' scrapbook today. For those who are unfamiliar with her, Charlotte Perkins was one of the great chroniclers of Annapolis Royal's history. Born in the last part of the nineteenth century, Charlotte lived through some of the highest and lowest points in our community's history. In addition to her book, The Romance of Old Annapolis Royal, she has left a wonderful legacy of photographs which she took throughout her life. This example is actually one of my favorite images in the Annapolis Heritage Society collection.

Anyone who is familiar with Annapolis Royal will find the building featured in this image immediately identifiable. The Queen Anne Inn on upper St George Street is one of the architectural landmarks of Annapolis Royal. The house was built in 1875 as a wedding gift for William Ritchie and Fanny Foster. This building is a testament to the high Victorian period in Annapolis Royal as well as the wealth and influence of the Ritchie family. The couple only had one son and decided to operate the building as a boarding house until they sold the property.

After a series of owners, the house was opened as the St Andrew's Boy's School in 1897. It is during this time as a boy's school that this picture was taken. The boys are taking part in some sort of exercise class or, more likely, a gun drill. In the AHS archival collection we have additional pictures of this building as a school as well as a copy of one of the School's advertising This image was taken between 1897 and 1907, the years that the school was in operation. For most of the last 100 years the building has been run as a hotel.

One of the things that I admire about this structure is that there is a different treatment for the windows on each floor. You will also note that there is very little vegetation around the building. A similar picture taken today would show mature trees, gardens and bushes.

All for now,
RGS