The Donald Morrison House located at 204 Montague Street in St. Andrews was built c1827 by house carpenter Donald D. Morrison for himself.
Mr. Morrison was born in Rosshire, Scotland c1791 and came to Boston in the early part of the 19th century. He moved to St. Andrews and practiced his occupation as a house carpenter in the late 1820’s. He moved back to Boston in the early 1850’s.
This home was occupied by the Keay family for nearly 100 years (1868-1950).
Rev. Peter Keay was inducted as pastor of Greenock Presbyterian Church in St. Andrews in 1868 and lived in this home until his tragic death in 1873.
Born and educated in Scotland, he preached there from 1851 until he was appointed by the Colonial Committee to serve in New Brunswick in 1854. He was ordained in Fredericton and spent 14 years ministering in the Stanley area before moving to St. Andrews, where he served for nearly six years.
In December 1873, Rev. Keay was granted a leave of absence to recover his health. While waiting for a train in McAdam, he fell from the station platform and was struck and killed by an oncoming train. He was just 45 years old.
Highly respected in both New Brunswick and Scotland, Rev. Keay was mourned deeply. His funeral was said to be the largest St. Andrews had seen up to that time. The Keay family remained in St. Andrews, and one of his grandsons later served as mayor of the town. The family retained the home until selling it in 1950.
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