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The
world-renowned Beaverbrook Art Gallery, another gift to the people of New
Brunswick from Lord Beaverbrook, is situated directly across the street from
the Legislative Assembly. The Gallery icon, Salvador Dali's Sanfiagoel Grande,
is appropriately placed near the front entrance. A new
wing, the Marion McCain Atlantic Gallery, was added during 1994 as a tribute to
the late Mrs. Marion (Billie) McCain, a benefactor and advocate of the work of
Atlantic Canadian artists. The new gallery features Atlantic Canadian art
through itinerant exhibitions and exhibitions of works of art drawn from the
permanent collection of The Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Major
Atlantic Canadian artists represented in the permanent collection include Mary
and Christopher Pratt, Molly Lamb and Bruno Bobak, Tom Forrestall, Alex
Colville, Avery Shaw, Fred Ross, Jack Humphrey and Miller Brittain.
Contemporary Acadian artists such as Francis Coutellier, Ghislaine McLaughlin,
Nancy Morin, Yvon Gallant and Romeo Savoie are also
represented. The Gallery has an extensive collection of
paintings by Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-1872), and expatriate Canadian
Impressionist James Wilson Morrice (1865-1924). New Brunswick landscape
paintings and works on paper by artists such as Anthony Flower (1792-1875),
George T. Taylor (1838-1913), and George Neilson Smith (1789-1854) are also an
important part of the Gallery's holdings of 19th century Canadian
art. Works of art by members of the Group of Seven, Ernily
Carr and David Milne as well as other twentieth century Canadian artists such
as Paul-Emile Borduas, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Jack Bush, Harold Feist, Harold
Kiunder and John Boyle are in the permanent
collection. The Gallery is internationally known for its
outstanding collection of British paintings from the Elizabethan era to the
modern period including paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds,
J. M. Turner and John Constable. Modern British art is represented by the work
of Augustus John, Sir Stanley Spencer, Walter Richard Sickert and Graham
Sutherland, including Sutherland's preparatory sketches for his famous portrait
of Winston Churchill. An excellent collection of 18th and
19th century English porcelain is one of the Gallery's permanent exhibits. As
well, a collection of late Renaissance paintings, Aubusson and Gobelin
tapestries, and European furniture and decorative arts, are exhibited
year-round. A modest sculpture garden, including work by
contemporary British artist Jonathan Kenworthy, contemporary Acadian artist
Marie Helene Allain, and sculptural figures after Watteau, grace the area
around the Gallery.
Click
here for more on the Gallery
The Gallery and Gift Shop are open
year- round. Winter Hours: Mon, Closed; Tues-Fri, 9 am - 5pm; Sat 10
am-5pm; Sun l2pm-5pm Summer Hours: Mon-Fri 9 am - 6pm; Sat & Sun lOam
- 5pm Admission: $3/adult; $2/seniors; $1/students (Group rates
available) Note: Works of art listed in this description are not necessarily
available for viewing at all times.

In the shadow of the
Cathedral spire and with a clear view of the renowned Beaverbrook Art Gallery
is the Crocket House; home to Gallery 78. Its history as well as its present
are even more interesting than its fascinating name
suggests. Toward the end of the 19th century, Fredericton
architects and builders began incorporating elements of several popular
structural modes of the era into their designs in what might be called a
'picturesque eclectic' style. This remarkable building is a fine example. Built
in 1900, the three-storey wood frame house is predominately Queen Anne Revival
having a circular corner tower with a conical shaped roof, bay windows and
decorative shingles. The front entrance, with its classical columns and
pediment, reflects a Georgian influence. It has been
called Crocket House since the 1930s when Dr. William Crocket and his family
called it home. In 1963 they sold it to the province of New Brunswick and it
was home to the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Heritage. In 1989 it was
renovated for use as a gallery. Gallery 78, established in
another Fredericton location in 1976, represents distinguished contemporary
Canadian artists and promotes young and promising talent, especially from New
Brunswick. Paintings, sculptures, original multiples and fine, one-of-a-kind
crafts are offered in frequently changing displays, and an average of six solo
exhibits are prepared each year. The Crocket House is also
home to the studios of Fredericton painter David McKay, teacher and painter
Peggy Holt and writer Nancy Bauer. The offices and practice space for the
Calithumpian Theatre Troupe are found in the Coach
House. The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5
pm, year round. Tours of the house and gallery are available on request. Group
tours and individual tours outside regular gallery hours can be arranged by
calling 506 454-5192 in advance.

Back on Waterloo Row and across the street is
the residence of New Brunswick's Lieutenant-Governor. It is just one of the
architectural gems along this river-side street. Unfortunately tours of these
stately private Fredericton homes are unavailable.
 Walk down toward the river
past the ball diamond and follow the gravel lane to the right into a secluded
area that is the Loyalist Cemetery. A few stones remain to mark where the first
Loyalists, who died in impoverished shelters on the nearby flats during the
harsh winter of 1783- 84, are buried.

Walk
back up The Green toward the Art Gallery and cross to Christ Church Cathedral,
one of the finest examples of decorated Gothic architecture in North America. A
copy of St. Mary's at Snettisham, England, it was the first entirely new
cathedral foundation on British soil since the Norman Conquest in 1066, and the
first built in the Anglican Communion after the
Reformation. The cathedral cornerstone was laid in 1845,
construction was complete by 1853, and it was consecrated that year by Bishop
John Medley, first Bishop of Fredericton (the diocese includes the entire
province of New Brunswick) under whose auspices it was built. His exquisite
cenotaph is at the east end of the cathedral, surrounded by the many fine
examples of woodworking and stained glass art that add depth and character to
this awesome structure. Although not on public display,
the Cathedral also contains the letters patent of Queen Victoria, appointing
the Rev. John Medley as Bishop of Fredericton, and constituting the Town of
Fredericton to be a city. It also possesses a Royal Bible which was presented
by Albert, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).
Free Guided Tours Mid-June to
Labour Day Mon-Fri 9 am - 8pm Sat l0am-5pm Sun l pm-5pm Tel:
506 450-8500
Visitors are welcome at other periods
of the year, 8:45am to 5pm daily. However, tour guides are not
available.
 Continue up St.
John, cross Brunswick Street and three houses from the corner you'll find
Conserver House. When it was built, about 1890, it took a coal cooker to keep
the kitchen warm, and 10 cords of wood to partially heat the rest of the
house. Today,thanks to the employment of energy
conservation practices and a non-polluting propane furnace, it is a model of
energy efficiency. It is also home to several not-for profit organizations,
including the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB), which has been
recognized by the United Nations for its outstanding achievements in the
protection and improvement of the environment. CCNB staff
operate Conserver House and are pleased to provide visitors with current
information on issues and concerns in the province. An environmental library is
also open to the public for browsing. Drop in Mon.-Fri.
9am - 5pm. (You can't miss the building with its signs and wheelchair ramp.)
Phone 506 458-8747 for further information.
  Head back down
St. John to Brunswick and turn left to find the Old York County Gaol (Jail).
Built between 1840 and 1842, its outside walls are 40" thick and the inside
partitions are 20". Originally a bread-and-water prison, it was lit by candles,
and heated by a solitary basement fireplace.
Tours are unavailable.

The Boyce Farmers' Market sits in the Gaol's
back yard. The building fronts on George St., the grounds stretch to Regent,
and every Saturday from 6 am to 1 pm it is the liveliest, most colourful spot
in town! The Market is a cornucopia of meats, vegetables,
baking, maple products and ethnic foods; a treasure-trove of art, crafts and
flowers. Some of the farmers, artists, artisans and enthusiastic entrepreneurs
are as interesting as their wares, and some of the people who frequent the
market are more interesting than everything else
combined! The Farmers' Market in Fredericton predates the
city's founding. In 1785 area residents petitioned the governor of the day to
create a townsite - a prerequisite for holding a
market. The Boyce Market building was constructed in 1951.
A bequest of $40,000 from the estate of Walter W. Boyce, a prominent local
businessman, got the project off the ground. The York County Council paid the
rest of the construction costs. The Market expanded in November of 1990 and now
has facilities for 217 stalls.
For more information call 506
451-1815.

Head toward the river on Regent
St., cross Brunswick and find St. Dunstan's Church. In
1824, Father Michael Sweeney from the Diocese of Quebec, the first Roman
Catholic missionary to Fredericton, purchased property on Regent St. and built
a small chapel. On September 30, 1842, the Diocese of New Brunswick was created
and the Rt. Rev. William Dollard, V.G., was named its bishop by Pope Gregory
XVI. The small chapel was moved to the rear of the lot and
used as a school and, in 1845, Bishop Dollard began construction of a new St.
Dunstan's Church. Upon completion it became the cathedral and episcopal Seat of
the diocese- the first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the new Diocese of New
Brunswick. The British government made a donation to the church with the
understanding that British soldiers stationed in Fredericton were to have seats
in the church free of charge. The building, erected in the
mid-1840's, was replaced in 1965 by the present modern structure on Regent and
Brunswick Streets. Two chapels honour The Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Mary, the
Mother of Perpetual Help; its fourteen stations of the cross are hand carved in
linden wood. Bishop Dollard's episcopal chair occupies a
place of honor at St. Dunstan's, and a moving painting of "The Crucifixion", a
consecration gift to Bishop Dollard from his friends in Quebec, still hangs
there too. Guided tours unavailable, however, the church
is open daily with usual mass time at 7pm. Mon. - Fri. Sept. - June. Summer:
July & August 12:05 pm Mon. - Fri.

From St. Dunstan's cross Regent St. at the
corner of Brunswick. About the middle of the block, in the
Old Town Plat bounded by Brunswick, George and Sunbury Streets, is the most
historically important cemetery in New Brunswick. The Old Burial Ground is the
final resting place for many of the Loyalist families who founded New
Brunswick, its first clergy, judges, and government officials. They lie with
the families of the English governors, members of the British regiments
stationed in Fredericton, and the early settlers from the British Isles from
whom many Frederictonians are descended. This cemetery
was actively used for more than 100 years. The first recorded burial in 1787 is
that of Anthony Foster, an English officer (probably a captain). An Act of the
Legislature ordered burials to cease on August 1, 1878, although current lot
owners were permitted to continue to inter their
relatives. In celebration of the bicentennial of the
arrival of The Loyalists in 1783, the Fredericton Branch, United Empire
Loyalists' Association of Canada, erected a large monument in the cemetery on
October 8,1983. It faces Brunswick Street. Behind it,
along the pathway through the cemetery, is a monument dedicated to the British
soldiers who served in Fredericton between 1784 and 1869. It was erected in
1985 as a City of Fredericton bicentennial project.
Further information is available
from Fredericton Tourism at City Hall.

From the cemetery, walk a half
block to Brunswick Street Baptist Church on the corner of Brunswick and
York. This congregation is descended from the 13 members
who organized the first Baptist Church in the area on January 1, 1814. They
gathered in a meeting house on the north side of King Street, below Regent. By
1840 the congregation had grown large enough to need a new church. That wooden
structure, built on this site and dedicated in 1840, was destroyed by fire in
1882. That same year the congregation laid the cornerstone
of the fine Neo-Gothic church that stands today. Built of purple-blue freestone
quarried in New Brunswick, it boasts a 60 foot tower with a spire that extends
a further eight feet and a beautiful tracery window over the main entrance. The
Gothic decoration of the semicircular sanctuary and balcony is bathed in the
glow of several stained-glass windows. The one above the pulpit, in which Jesus
is depicted breaking bread with the Emmaus disciples, has been described as
'one of the best examples of mid-century stained glass in the province'. To the
right of the sanctuary is a plaque commemorating the Rev. and Mrs. Richard E.
Burpee who sailed for Burma in 1845. They were the first Canadian Protestant
missionaries to a foreign country. The list of Brunswick
Street Baptist firsts also includes York House. This red brick building
adjacent to the church is the site of a coeducational seminary established by
Baptists in the area in 1836. It was the first upper-level school in Canada to
admit both men and women. While it was supported entirely by Baptists, more
than half its students were from other denominations. The
seminary closed its doors 36 years after it was established, when the School
Act was changed to provide education to people of all faiths. Today York House
provides Christian education facilities throughout the year and a place for
ministry to single-parent families and youth. The church itself is available
for viewing Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 4:30pm. Follow
York St. toward the river, cross Queen and you're back where you started your
Walking Tour - at City Hall. We hope you have enjoyed the heart of our capital
city.
   
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