Fredericton.
Is situated in the County of York, on the west side of the river Saint John on an extensive flat opposite the Nashwaack, formerly called Saint Anns point. The river forms an elbow in front of the town, and the hills encircle the plain, and approach the river about two miles above the town leaving a spot of low land nearly four miles in length and in places over a mile in breadth.
The town is laid out in squares of eighteen lots containing one quarter of an acre each. The streets cross at right angles. Those that run parallel with the river are more than a mile in length, and are in places considerably well built up; the houses are all of wood and of different heights.
The inhabitants are the descendents of the Loyalists who came to the Province at the close of the American revolution, with a mixture of Europeans and Americans.
Fredericton being the seat of Government, contains besides a residence for the Lieutenant-Governor, a Provincial Hall, where the Supreme Courts and General Assemblies are held. This building contains a spacious room for the Supreme Courts, with several Jury rooms, a Council Chamber, and an Assembly Room, with other apartments and conveniences for the Legislative Body. Adjoining this building are the Offices of the Surveyor General and Secretary of the Province.—The other public buildings are a handsome square of Barracks with a Parade in front, where part of a Regiment of foot are usually quartered.-Barracks and Store-houses for a company of Royal Artillery with other buildings for the use of the troops.
A County Court-House, which also serves for a Market; a small commodious Church in a sightly situation, two neat Chapels, one belonging to the Baptists, and the other to the Methodists; a Catholic Chapel in progress; a Gaol, and a building occupied as a College till another one on an enlarged scale can be erected; a Poor House in the vicinity of the town, on a liberal scale; and a Meeting House belonging to a number of persons composed of congregationalists and other seceders from the Kirk of Scotland.
Government House is situated a little above the upper part of the town on a convenient pleasant site, but having been a long time without a settled family it was when Sir Howard Douglas came to the Province considerably out of order. It wants a wing to be added to make it uniform with other improvements: for although when the house was built for Governor Carleton it was on a liberal scale, considering the state of the Province at that time, it has been suffered to remain without enlargement, while the country has rapidly advanced.—It is, therefore, at present neither sufficiently spacious or splendid for the Governor's residence.—The same observations may apply to the Province Hall, which although always too low to make a good appearance or allow a good Council Chamber, was a good building considering the state of the country and want of revenue at the time it was erected; but is now too small and plain, considering the great increase of the population and trade of the Province.
Public buildings speak much, though silently, for the public spirit, taste, and importance of a country. They should, therefore, always be on such an enlightened scale as not to be a prejudice to it. One general observation may be made on all the public edifices in Fredericton, which is that being uniformly low they make a flat appearance, which is peculiarly striking to a stranger coming from countries where buildings are more elevated.
Probably there are few finer situations for a town than the site on which Fredericton is built. A beautiful river glides majestically in front of a spacious plain; bounded by hills of gentle acclivity, possessing elegant sites for seats and buildings on commanding situations. On the opposite side of the river the Nashwaack rolls its tribute to the Saint John and adds much to the beauty of the situation. Abundance of excellent water is every where found with a soil peculiarly well adapted for forming gardens, walks, &c. with a pure, healthy atmosphere. From the hills which skirt the town the river can be seen to a great distance winding through the country, till it is lost among the distant Islands.
Fredericton being at the head of the sloop navigation is the main depot for goods from the seaboard. It is about eighty-five miles from the sea and surrounded by a large extent of country which is fast settling. The river Saint John is about three quarters of a mile wide in front of the town, and extends upwards of four hundred miles above it.—The surrounding country possesses an excellent soil, and abounds in valuable timber, and as the whole of the trade to and from the upper country must pass Fredericton, a great part of it must of course centre there, and consequently, as the country becomes fully settled, Fredericton must improve and from its situation remain the great central emporium of the Province.