Old Government House
Encyclopedia
Old Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
, as well as that in Fredericton of the Canadian monarch. It stands on a 4.5 ha (11 acre) estate along the Saint John River in the provincial capital at 51 Woodstock Road; while the equivalent building in many countries has a prominent, central place in the territorial capital, the site of New Brunswick
's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Fredericton, giving it more the character of a private home.
settlement of Sainte-Anne and it served as the place for meetings between the viceroy and his Executive Council, balls, and state dinners. In 1890, however, Lieutenant Governor Samuel Leonard Tilley
felt the maintenance budget for the house was insufficient and consequently relocated, after which the former viceregal residence took on other roles; from 1896 to 1900, it served as a school for the hearing impaired
, was a military barracks through World War I
, a soldiers' hospital following the war, and, from 1934 to 1988, was the J Division regional headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, during which time it was in 1958 designated as a National Historic Site. Only on 1 July 1999, after two years of extensive renovation and restoration of the structure and its interiors, was the mansion returned to viceregal service in a ceremony including representatives of the Maliseet First Nation
, the ancestors of which performed dances on New Year's Day
164 years earlier, both times to demonstrate the importance of the relationship between them and the Crown.
, as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements. It is also at the royal residence that the lieutenant governor will drop the writs of election
, swear-in new members of the Executive Council
, and hold audience with his premier
.
The property is owned by the Queen in Right of New Brunswick
and, as mandated before its renovation in 1996, is open to the public. In that vein, the grounds of royal estate are frequently the site of public celebrations, such as those for Canada Day
and New Brunswick Day.
walls and timber floor and roof framing
, all clad in a sandstone
exterior. The building, designed by architect James Woolford, is in the Georgian
style with touches of Adam
, being a hip roof
ed, rectangular, two storey block divided by two perpendicular axes. The main facade is aligned on the entrance and its curved portico
, above which is an arched niche and, at the roof, a shallow gable pierced by a rose window
; to either side of this are rows of multi-paned, sash window
s, the attic having wall dormer
s, and one storey wings, each with a curved bay window
. On the main floor is found the drawing room, dining room, music room, library, two conservatories, and the historical lieutenant governor's office; the second floor contains exhibit rooms and the lieutenant governor's present office; and the third floor holds the viceroy's private apartments.
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
The Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick or Lieutenante-gouverneure du Nouveau-Brunswick) is the viceregal representative in New Brunswick of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada...
, as well as that in Fredericton of the Canadian monarch. It stands on a 4.5 ha (11 acre) estate along the Saint John River in the provincial capital at 51 Woodstock Road; while the equivalent building in many countries has a prominent, central place in the territorial capital, the site of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Fredericton, giving it more the character of a private home.
History
Indended specifically to replace the residence of the colonial Lieutenant Governors of New Brunswick that burned down in 1825, Old Government House was erected between 1826 and 1828 on the site of the former AcadianAcadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlement of Sainte-Anne and it served as the place for meetings between the viceroy and his Executive Council, balls, and state dinners. In 1890, however, Lieutenant Governor Samuel Leonard Tilley
Samuel Leonard Tilley
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Tilley was descended from United Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family...
felt the maintenance budget for the house was insufficient and consequently relocated, after which the former viceregal residence took on other roles; from 1896 to 1900, it served as a school for the hearing impaired
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
, was a military barracks through World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a soldiers' hospital following the war, and, from 1934 to 1988, was the J Division regional headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, during which time it was in 1958 designated as a National Historic Site. Only on 1 July 1999, after two years of extensive renovation and restoration of the structure and its interiors, was the mansion returned to viceregal service in a ceremony including representatives of the Maliseet First Nation
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
, the ancestors of which performed dances on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
164 years earlier, both times to demonstrate the importance of the relationship between them and the Crown.
Use
Old Government House is where the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted and often stay while in Fredericton. It is also where numerous royal and viceroyal events take place, such as the bestowing of provincial awards or inductions into the Order of New BrunswickOrder of New Brunswick
The Order of New Brunswick is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Instituted in 2000 by Lieutenant Governor Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bernard Lord, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended...
, as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements. It is also at the royal residence that the lieutenant governor will drop the writs of election
Dropping the writ
Dropping the writ is the informal term for a procedure in some parliamentary government systems, where the head of government goes to the head of state and formally advises him or her to dissolve parliament...
, swear-in new members of the Executive Council
Executive Council of British Columbia
The Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
, and hold audience with his premier
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
.
The property is owned by the Queen in Right of New Brunswick
Monarchy in New Brunswick
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in New Brunswick as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within New Brunswick's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of New Brunswick, Her Majesty in Right of...
and, as mandated before its renovation in 1996, is open to the public. In that vein, the grounds of royal estate are frequently the site of public celebrations, such as those for Canada Day
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
and New Brunswick Day.
Architecture
The royal residence of New Brunswick was built of load-bearing masonryMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
walls and timber floor and roof framing
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, all clad in a sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
exterior. The building, designed by architect James Woolford, is in the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style with touches of Adam
Adam style
The Adam style is an 18th century neoclassical style of interior design and architecture, as practiced by the three Adam brothers from Scotland; of whom Robert Adam and James Adam were the most widely known.The Adam brothers were the first to advocate an integrated style for architecture and...
, being a hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
ed, rectangular, two storey block divided by two perpendicular axes. The main facade is aligned on the entrance and its curved portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, above which is an arched niche and, at the roof, a shallow gable pierced by a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
; to either side of this are rows of multi-paned, sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s, the attic having wall dormer
Wall dormer
A wall dormer is a dormer whose facial plane is integral with the facial plane of the wall that it is built into, breaking the line of the eaves] of a building....
s, and one storey wings, each with a curved bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
. On the main floor is found the drawing room, dining room, music room, library, two conservatories, and the historical lieutenant governor's office; the second floor contains exhibit rooms and the lieutenant governor's present office; and the third floor holds the viceroy's private apartments.
External links
- Old Government House - official site