City Directories

Used for centuries, City directories contain an alphabetical listing of residents and businesses in the city.  Unlike telephone books, they usually also contain a section with properties listed in order by street address as well as a business (including advertisements) and government directory, a listing of abbreviations and other miscellaneous matters of interest.

These ledgers can be utilized for many different types of historical research. The ARM division mainly uses them to determine a history or date of construction of a property.  However, because they list the names of the heads of households, their occupation, wives, and boarders as well as businesses, organizations, institutions and advertisements, they are a wealth of information for genealogists. 

The ARM division houses City directories sporadically from 1864 to 1936.  None were printed during the 1940s and 1950s but yearly editions were published from 1960-2000.  Due to privacy legislation, all publications ceased in 2000.

For a listing of directories not included here, contact arm@stjohns.ca. 

• 1877 The Atlantic Telegraph NFLD Directory
• 1885-86 Directory for the towns of St. John's, Harbor Grace, and Carbonear
• 1913 St. John's Newfoundland Directory including Harbor Grace, Carbonear and Bell Island
• 1915 McAlpine's St. John's City Directory
• 1922 St. John's Telephone Directory  
• 1928 Newfoundland Directory
• 1932 St. John's Classified Business and City Directory
• 1936 Lloyd's Newfoundland Directory
• 1951 St. John's Telephone Directory
• 1958 Eastern Newfoundland Telephone Directory
• 1960-61 Polk's St. John's City Directory
• 1966 Henderson's St. John's City Directory
• 1968 Henderson's St. John's City Directory
• 1969 Henderson's St. John's City Directory
• 1970 Henderson's St. John's City Directory
• 1971 Henderson's St. John's City Directory
• 1972 Polk's St. John's City Directory
• 1973 Polk's St. John's City Directory