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Charlotte Street School

740 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2006/09/11

Front view showing main entrance and cupola; City of Fredericton
Charlotte Street School, front view
Angle view showing 1917 rear addition; City of Fredericton
Charlotte Street School, west side
Historic photograph of the school from the George T. Taylor Collection showing the original school building; Provincial Archives of NB, image P5-327
Charlotte Street School, 1885

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1884/01/01 to 1885/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2009/07/13

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

In 1885 Fredericton contractor Joshua Limerick completed Charlotte Street School based upon the design plan of Saint John architects J. C. Dumaresq and H. H. Mott. This two-and-a-half storey Italianate style brick structure is situated in a residential area at the east end of the downtown plat on the south side of Charlotte Street between St. John and Church Streets.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Charlotte Street School as a Local Historic Place resides in the building's Italianate architecture. Charlotte Street School is one of the few public buildings in Fredericton to embody this architectural style. The cupola on this structure resembles that of the Provincial Legislature; the only difference being in roof style. The cupola on Charlotte Street School features a bellcast roof, while that of the Provincial Legislature is topped by a dome. The similarity in cupola style can be credited to the designer, J. C. Dumaresq. Two years after the completion of the Provincial Legislature, Dumaresq formed a partnership with H. H. Mott and together they designed the Charlotte Street School.

A new school became necessary when in 1883 the Fredericton School Board could no longer occupy the classroom space it rented at the Park Barracks. Over-crowding in the other city schools and a lack of available buildings for school purposes contributed to the decision to build a new structure. Joshua Limerick, prolific local builder, won the contract in 1884 to erect this school building. The finished building contained six classrooms, three on each level, which housed Grades 1 to 8. Congested schools and over-crowded conditions, factors in building the original structure, were also responsible for the construction of the two-storey 1917 addition. The wartime expansion of Charlotte Street School was completed by Saint John builder, R. A. Corbett, upon the design of Saint John architect, G. Ernest Fairweather. This annex featured two new classrooms and an assembly hall.

Charlotte Street School is an educational landmark in the City of Fredericton. This school was the first to be adopted by the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.). Mrs. W.G. Clark, appointed to the Fredericton School Board in 1896, was the first female school trustee in Canada. Mrs. Clark served in that capacity for 49 years and never once missed closing exercises at Charlotte Street School. Sloyd School training, or manual training, was offered to male and female students at Charlotte Street School from 1903 until 1948.

Charlotte Street School is the oldest school building still standing in the City of Fredericton. Although it is no longer used as a public school, this building has housed educational endeavours for more than a century. After the school’s closure, this building served as a teacher’s resource centre and as a community college.

Source: City of Fredericton, Historic Places File, “Charlotte Street School, 740 Charlotte Street”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Charlotte Street School associated with the Italianate style of architecture include:
- its location on a lot in the downtown plat;
- manicured lawn and trees;
- brick two-and-a-half storey main structure and two-storey rear addition;
- projecting frontispiece with triangular pediment;
- projecting sections on either side of projecting frontispiece topped by triangular pediments;
- stone arch over main entrance;
- haut-relief date “1884” above main entrance;
- pairs of round-headed windows bracketed by narrow rectangular windows;
- low-pitched roof of main structure;
- cupola with bellcast roof.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Local Historic Places Program

Recognition Type

Municipal Register of Local Historic Places

Recognition Date

2006/09/11

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1917/01/01 to 1917/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Learning and the Arts
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Building Social and Community Life
Education and Social Well-Being

Function - Category and Type

Current

Education
Special or Training School

Historic

Education
Composite School

Architect / Designer

J. C. Dumaresq

Builder

Joshua Limerick

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Fredericton, Historic Places File, "Charlotte Street School, 740 Charlotte Street"

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

659

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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