Additional Buildings

102 Queen Street


This large building, the first house of cut stone in Fredericton, was built shortly after 1820 by Anthony Lockwood, surveyor general of N.B. The mansion was gutted by fire in 1870, and afterwards sold to Joseph C. Risteen to become a part of the Risteen Sash and door factory. Established in 1870, the factory moved to this Queen Street location in 1872, supplying wood doors, windows and decorative woodwork for a great deal of the homes and public buildings in Fredericton. Joseph Risteen managed the factory until 1900, when his partner Henry Chestnut took over. The J.C. Risteen Company continued production at this location until it fully ceased operations in the mid–1970’s.

102 Waterloo Row

Part of this house may actually be pre-Loyalist, and it was in 1822 that John Kendall, carpenter, leased it from George Shore, namesake of the adjacent street. The next owner, John Wilkinson, added the long south wing after 1860. During the latter part of the 20th century, it was owned by the late Hon. Muriel McQueen Fergusson, the first female speaker of the Senate of Canada.

103 & 115 Church Street

Close investigation reveals that these pre-1873 neighbours share not only a splendid view of the Cathedral, but also a virtually identical form with duplicate details such as their Second Empire mansard roofs, eaves, cornices, and window trim. But there are differences: #103 carries a full width Tuscan-columned verandah topped with a similar sunporch, creating a more monumental feel. The porch at #115 is smaller but has richer details including arched spandrels and decorative columns with an inverted fleur-de-lys motif; its single storey height reveals a graceful pair of arch-top windows above. Of note is #115’s carriage house, which is essentially a charming miniature of the main house.

114 George Street

Textured concrete block houses were embraced by Frederictonians during the early 20th century as they were a convenient and affordable method of obtaining a distinctive masonry building at a fraction of the cost of building in stone. This example is one of the finest in the City, built by then mayor of Fredericton Storey Hooper in 1911. The house’s cast columns supporting the wraparound porch and the 42" wide front door are enriched on the interior by sumptuous stained wood trim and a wealth of beveled and stained glass windows with a stylized floral design - quite appropriate for its current use: a flower shop.

12-14 Waterloo Row

Loyalists Duncan and John McLeod built this house with its gambrel roof over a two-storey frame around 1785-86 and established an inn on the site in 1791. This popular New England roof-form offered the most efficient way of providing a third floor needed in a busy inn. McLeod’s Inn had comfortable rooms, good food, and a list of distinguished colonial guests. It is today one of the few survivors of the many 18th century inns along Fredericton’s waterfront. Around 1880 the building was made into two residences and now consists of apartments.

120 Smythe Street

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 9:21 am

Following the completion of his sash and door factory which sits adjacent on the river side, local industrialist Joseph C. Risteen began work on this, his family home, which was completed in 1874. Nearly all the house’s materials including the doors, windows and siding were manufactured at the factory. With the exception of the side verandah additions, the house has carefully maintained its original features including the arch–top windows, curved fitting shutters, massive double doors, fascia trim and overall appearance. It has never left the Risteen family, and is presently owned by Joseph’s great–grandson.

124 St. John Street

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 1:27 pm

Distinguished by the use of the decorative bargeboard trim with pendants and finial along the gable roof eave, this circa 1860 2 and half storey wood frame house is a fine example of the mid-19th Century Carpenter Gothic style. Note the quietly articulated 2-over-2 single hung windows with their top sash’s arched panes, which can still be found in other buildings throughout the Old City areas, but often shrouded behind aluminum storm windows. The added attic dormer window helps accentuate the verticality of this compact residence, which was of fundamental importance to the Gothic Revival.

126 Waterloo Row

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 2:34 pm

The Hon. William J. West was a respected judge of the appeal court of N.B., and whose eye was caught by Good Housekeeping magazine’s 1937 "House of the Year." In 1938 Judge West ordered the plans and built an accurate facsimile for $8500, right down to the paint colours illustrated in the article’s photographs. The only major difference was his substitution of stone instead of brick, which was obtained from the northside’s Royal Road quarry. The internationally acclaimed artist Mary Pratt (neé West) grew up here with her sister Barbara, and the home has been featured prominently in her work. The house has never left the family, and is still lived in by Barbara and her husband George Cross.

132 Waterloo Row

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 2:34 pm

Of Chestnut Canoe distinction, this eclectic hip-roofed house was built for company owner Harry Chestnut and his wife Annie in 1902, quite possibly by R. Chestnut & Sons, who were "Builders and Contractors" in addition to hardware merchants. The foremost attributes of the house are undoubtedly the full-height columns with unusual "mini-columned" capitals and the pair of decorated dormers. Custom woodwork and luxurious brass hardware enrich the spacious interior, while the upper front balcony’s floor deck is covered with - what else - canoe canvas. Amazingly, only recently has the original boiler system been replaced, which had heated the building ever since it was built.

142 Charlotte Street

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 9:40 am

Built circa 1860-70. It is unknown who built the house, but it was first owned by the Wheeler family and sold to Captain John Scott in 1899. It was occupied by Scott’s descendants until 1977 when it was bought by the current owner. The house sits on a lot with dimensions of 109 ft. by 165 ft., which makes it one of the bigger private residence lots in the downtown core. All windows and doors in the main house are the originals as well as the pine clapboard siding.

155 Smythe Street

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 9:31 am

One of a related group of early 20th century Beaux-Arts Classical houses in Fredericton, this noble home with its grand front porch, two-storey ionic columns, and splendid stained glass windows was built circa 1902 as a wedding gift to Mr. and Mrs. Wardlow Kilburn by his father John. John Kilburn was a wealthy lumberman and part owner of the Hartt shoe factory, and would often hire a three-piece band to play concerts on the front balcony of the house. Upon his death in 1940, the house was bequeathed to the neighbouring hospital and was used as a nurses’ residence. It is now an office with apartment flats.

158 Odell Avenue

Submitted by fht on Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 9:28 am

Workmen’s signatures followed by the date "1900" on the back of some interior wood trim firmly set the construction date of this house as one of the first built in the 20th century. A smaller but similarly built wing was added in the 1920’s on the east end, which features a distinctive corner bay set at a 45º angle to the rest of the building. The simple but refined wood clapboard house was built by William Anderson, a local businessman and tailor, and is said to be haunted by some.