Founded by Loyalists in 1783, St. Andrews is a fine and rare surviving example of a Canadian town whose plan and character clearly reflect its 18th-century origins. It retains the four key elements of a British colonial settlement of that period: a gridiron plan, provision for public spaces, well-defined sites for defensive works, and a common area surrounding the original townsite that clearly separates settled from non-settled land. St. Andrews is also distinguished by a fine collection of commercial and residential buildings spanning the town’s history, most featuring design motifs inspired by British classicism. The earliest buildings date to the town’s founding era and are wooden structures with simple exteriors. As the local economy matured, newer houses became more elaborately embellished, and the largest and most expensive were built of brick. The consistent use of classical architectural features, the retention of the original street layout, and the division of town blocks into generously sized lots have given the community a distinctive appearance and a strong sense of place.