Rawlins Cross, St. John's

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Rawlins Cross

Rawlins Cross, formed by the intersection of Prescott Street, Monkstown and Military Roads, is a well known St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador landmark. Military Road, built in 1773, was one of the first roads in this area that joined Fort William with Fort Townsend. Monkstown Road was built in the early 19th century and Prescott Street around 1840. The area where all three came together became to be known as Rawlins Cross, after grocer Patrick Rawlins.

Rawlins Cross has been home to many businesses; the most noteworthy was O'Mara-Martin Drugs, established in 1892. In 1895 W.J. Murphy's grocery established a presence there. It is the site of the first traffic light for the city; it was manually operated by a police constable. A commemorative plaque for the St. John's Electric Light Company is located at Rawlins Cross, although the business was established on nearby Flavin Street in 1885.

A distinct feature of this area is the difference in the style of houses on either side of the intersection. One side has large luxury homes that once belonged to fish merchants, and the other side, as you move closer to downtown, has small row houses. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these row houses belonged to poor fishermen, who worked for the merchants on the opposing side of the intersection. (Citation Needed)

A popular Newfoundland Irish band, Rawlins Cross, has taken its name from this St. John's landmark.