Admittedly, Benoit Hall is one of the newer buildings on the block. not having been built until 1914, while some date to the early nineteenth century. Originally the home of a wholesaler/retailer dealing in tobacco products and "Automatic Penny Machines", we have no information on what other establishments may have called this building home over the years. We do, however, know who, or what, occupies the building now, however. Sometime in 2015 a little restaurant named
Local 343 set up shop here. Made to resemble a PEI farmhouse, the restaurant has an open kitchen on the ground floor, while the dining room is upstairs, a somewhat unusual arrangement no doubt made necessary by the diminutive dimensions of the building.
Here's a
review of Local 343.
Following is text from the property listing at the City of Charlottetown website.
Benoit Hall
Resource Overview:
A newspaper advertisement indicated that 98 Water Street was the office of C.H. Benoit, "wholesale and retail dealer in Tobacco, Cigars and Cigarettes and Automatic Penny Machines". All the latest novelties were always on hand and the business was conducted in connection with a billiard and pool room. One assumes that the business was operating in the early 20th century given that a phone number was provided, but it had only three digits: #373.
Block Overview:
With the exception of the Gainsford (102-104 Water Street) and Ings (108 Water Street) Houses, all of the buildings on this block were constructed after a serious fire in December of 1857. Businesses associated with this block include the PEI Navigation Company, Buntain and Bell's and the Lyon's Coal Company. A 19th century story tells of a well formerly at the foot of Queen Street having magical properties. It was said that no matter how far a person might roam, anyone drinking from the well would return to Prince Edward Island again one day. Development by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation since the 1970's has seen the renovation of a number of historic buildings along with the construction of a major hotel and waterfront attraction complex.
From the City of Charlottetown