History of Fredericton - British Colony

British Colony

The founding of the City of Fredericton dates from 1783, when the United Empire Loyalists settled in Ste. Anne's Point (site of present day Fredericton) after the American Revolution. At the time of the Loyalist settlement, St. Anne's Point was occupied by only three families. About 2,000 Loyalists settled in the area of present day Fredericton including several army regiments. The first winter was harsh with early and severe snowfalls. Bedding was in short supply and many perished during that harsh winter of 1783/84. Those who perished were buried in what became the Loyalist cemetery, which is still found on the south bank of the Saint John River. During the following spring – due to deaths and Loyalists leaving for land grants in other regions of the countryside, the numbers of settlers was greatly reduced. Thus, the numbers of the true Loyalist founders is less than commonly believed in popular myth.

A street plan was laid out to the west of the original townsite and approved by Nova Scotia Governor Parr in 1784. The layout was laid out in a detailed map in 1785 which entailed broad streets intersecting at right angles and forming a series of city blocks. This plan came to be known as the "Campbell Plot", named after its designer. However, the streets were not named until 1819. The street plan laid out in the "Campbell Plot" gives downtown Fredericton its characteristic spaciousness today.

When New Brunswick became a separate colony from Nova Scotia in 1784, Ste. Anne's Point became the provincial capital, winning out over Parrtown (present-day Saint John) due to its central inland location meaning it was less prone to American attack from the sea. The site of Fredericton was designated as provincial capital by Governor Guy Carleton on 22 February 1785. King's College (now the University of New Brunswick) was founded that same year, and the locale was renamed "Frederick's Town", in honour of the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom, Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York. The name was shortened to Fredericton shortly after the city became the official provincial capital of New Brunswick on 25 April 1785.

Within a period of less than three years, the site of Fredericton went from being a sparsely inhabited region to being the capital of the new colony of New Brunswick. While many more people came after the Loyalists, as the numbers of Loyalists settlers who permanently remained on the site was quite small, these Loyalists laid the foundation for Fredericton and its role as provincial capital. This foundation that would be built upon by newcomers and further generations afterwards.

The same attributes that made Fredericton the capital city also made it an ideal spot for a military installation. Many of the original military buildings downtown still stand, and are now tourist attractions.

A building was constructed to house the provincial legislative assembly in 1788, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1880. Two years later, the present Legislature Building was constructed.