Fredericton Then and Now

Beginning in 1783 due to an influx of United Empire Loyalists, Fredericton holds many keys to our past. Although rarely considered in our day to day activities, the buildings that populate downtown Fredericton have a significant amount of history hidden in their walls. By mimicking the location and angle of archival photographs, I hope to show the changes our buildings and streets have seen over their lifetime.   

Fredericton City Hall, taken from the corner of King and York Street. 

It was originally built in 1876 and the fountain with the infamous "Freddy the little nude dude" was added in 1885. Other than a metal roof and a major restoration a couple years ago the building has not changed greatly in appearance. 

Justice Building, also taken from the corner of King and York Street.

The Provincial Normal School was constructed in 1875 but burnt in 1929. The Annex in the rear survived the fire and the current building was built as a replacement. In 1970 the building was renovated to house law courts which remains in use today. The Annex is currently used as studio space. The street scape has changed as have the trees, but the building is fairly similar.     

The Legislative Assembly Block

In the centre is the Provincial Legislature which opened in 1882 after the previous building burnt two years earlier. The Departmental Building to the right was designed in 1882, and the Education Building on the left was built in 1816 and a second story added in 1869. All three are still in use by the government with few major exterior changes. 

These photos can be found at the Provincial Archives web page for Historical Images. If there are any photos you would like me to recreate please let me know. I am not a professional photographer but I will do my best!