This 2 ½-storey wood frame dwelling, which is situated on the corner of Waterloo Row and Shore Street, dates from the early 19th century.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of this dwelling resides in its early construction and in the prominence of its ownership. In 1822, John Kendall, carpenter, leased this house from Colonel George Shore, after whom Shore Street was named. Kendall resided in this house for more than two decades.
John Wilkinson, who purchased the house in 1858, added the south wing soon after moving in. Educated in England, Wilkinson studied at the Institution of Engineers in London. He immigrated to New Brunswick in 1830, settling first at Campobello Island. After assuming a position in the Crown Land Office, Wilkinson moved to Fredericton in 1837. In his position as Surveyor and Draughtsman, he was involved with British Commission formed to settle the boundary dispute between New Brunswick and Maine. At the request of Surveyor-General R.D. Wilmot, Wilkinson prepared and published a new map of New Brunswick. This map, completed in 1859, was the first to show the boundary between New Brunswick and Maine as dictated by the Webster-Asburton Trearty of 1842.
Wilkinson resided in this house only a short time, relinquishing it because of financial difficulties. The property was offered for sale by the Central Bank at public auction in 1863. With no bidders on the property, the President of the Central Bank, Andrew Inches, purchased the property. Andrew Inches, originally from Scotland, would later be employed by the Crown Land Office, becoming Deputy of the Surveyor-General, a post he held until his death in 1897.
Perhaps the most distinguished owner of this house was Senator Muriel McQueen Fergusson, who purchased the property in 1957. Born at Shediac, she received a BA at Mt. Allison University and trained as a lawyer before being admitted to the Bar in 1925. The first woman elected to Fredericton City Council (1951), she also became the first woman Deputy Mayor in 1953. Appointed to the Senate of Canada that same year, she enjoyed the support of national women’s organizations and served on several Senate Committees concerned with the rights of women. The Hon. Muriel McQueen Fergusson became the first woman Speaker of the Senate in 1972.
Character-Defining Elements
The Character-Defining Elements of the house located at 102 Waterloo Row include:
-
2 ½-storey wood frame construction
-
Its situation upon a corner lot
-
Medium pitched gable roof, oriented away from the street
-
Side wings with enclosed porch on east facing side
-
Front entry portico with slim pilasters topped with medium pitched gable roof
-
Large, rectangular windows