774 King Street

This simple house dating from 1787 taken together with 752 King Street becomes in miniature a statement of the two basic attitudes towards architecture established in 18th century New Brunswick. Known as the Smyth (or Smith) house, this small house with its lack of roof eaves and functional window arrangement is a pure response to the newly-arrived Loyalists’ need for basic shelter, and lacks much of the developing sophistication of the neighbouring John Saunders House which was built nearly ten years later. The Smythe house’s is known as a "Hall/Parlour House," as its main floor plan consists of a front parlour and a rear "hall" or kitchen, to which the back additions, such as the summer kitchen and side wing, were added later. Like many of the older houses in the downtown plat, the fieldstone foundation only has mortar in the upper few feet, with the lower basement foundation loose-laid and permeable to allow water from the annual spring floods to run through. The house has been painstakingly restored by its present owner, who has been careful to maintain traces of its two centuries of evolution, including dozens of layers of wallpaper, craftsmen’s signatures on the plaster, and various recovered items such as original trim, windows and shutters.

The Smyth House built in 1787, is located on 774 King Street. First occupied in July 1787 by Mrs. Robert Smyth, this dwelling is one of Fredericton's earliest surviving houses. This home was plaqued by the Fredericton Heritage Trust in 1977.