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397 Queen St |
New Brunswick Tourism Region : St. John River Valley
Description From Owner:
- New Brunswick's capital was settled briefly in 1692 when Joseph Robineau de Villebon established a fort where the Nashwaak R. drains into the St. John R. Spring floods wiped out the fort and the settlers moved to Nova Scotia' s Port Royal.
- In 1732, a group of Acadians fleeing Nova Scotia which had been taken over by British forces, established the village of Sainte Anne in the area where Old Government House stands today.
- New England Planters later renamed the place Saint Anne's Point. A new name was enacted by order-in-council in February of 1785:
- 'a town at Saint Anne's Point on the River St. John, to be called Fredericktown after His Royal Highness Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York' (1763-1827) and second son of King George Ill. The k and w were soon dropped from the name.
- In 1845 Anglican bishop John Medley (1804-1892) chose the community as the site for the magnificent Christ Church Cathedral, the first Gothic-revival cathedral in North America, which helped in the elevation of the town to city status in 1848.
- 'Mini Ben,' the clock in its tower, inspired Big Ben in Britain's Houses of Parliament. The new bishopric carved from the former diocese of Nova Scotia also earned the city the sobriquet 'Celestial City.'
- On Nov 11, 1850, much of Fredericton was destroyed by fire. More than 300 buildings were destroyed and 2,000 people were left homeless.
- Birthplace of Andrew George Blair (1844-1907), premier from 1883 to 1896, credited with building the provincial Liberal Party.
- One of his first acts as premier was to build a bridge across the St. John River linking Fredericton with the company town of Alexander 'Boss' Gibson, a wealthy entrepreneur and one of Blair's biggest supporters.
- Birthplace of Andrew Rainsford Wetmore (1820-1892), premier from 1867 to 1870.
- With permission from 'New Brunswick Place Names' David E. Scott 2009
