This 2 ½-storey wood frame Queen Anne Revival style dwelling is situated on the northwest corner Church and King Streets at 97 Church Street, diagonally opposite from Christ Church Cathedral.
Heritage Value
The block of Church Street, bounded by Queen Street, Secretary Lane, and King Street, was known throughout most of the 19th century as Garden Block, named after one of the original grantees of the Fredericton Town Plat, William Garden. Peter Fraser, who would represent York County in the House of Assembly from 1809 until 1827, purchased Garden’s property in 1789.
After Peter Fraser’s death in 1840, his valuable property was offered for sale. In 1848, the houses and the available lot on Garden Block were for sale by public auction. The unoccupied lot was finally sold in 1850 to Benjamin Wolhaupter, local jeweler, who completed the initial version of this house in 1851. Benjamin Wolhautper rose to prominence in the community, first appointed Magistrate for York County in 1837. A decade later he became High Sheriff for York County, a position he held until his death in 1857.
A pious man, Benjamin Wolhaupter was a devout member of the Church of England. He also formed a close personal friendship with Bishop John Medley, Fredericton’s first Anglican Bishop. Wolhaupter’s house located in close proximity to Christ Church Cathedral, he often entertained Bishop Medley in his home.
While the Cathedral was being constructed (1845-1853), Bishop Medley resided just outside the town limits at Salamanca. By 1865, Bishop Medley purchased the late Benjamin Wolhaupter’s home, residing here until his death in 1892. Mrs. Margaret Medley, Bishop Medley’s widow, lived in this house until her death in 1905.
When William Turney Whitehead, former Mayor of Fredericton (1898), purchased the property in 1905, he made extensive renovations to the house. The dwelling, which was originally a straightforward 2 ½-storey 5-bay Georgian dwelling, received substantial rebuilding and additions, reflecting the Queen Anne style which was then popular.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with the dwelling located at 97 Church Street include:
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2 ½-storey wood frame construction with a 5-bay Georgian residence as its base
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Medium pitched gable metal roof, with its ridge running parallel to the street
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Queen Anne style elements, including its asymmetrical design, colonnaded open front verandah with entablature and ballustrade, enclosed second storey porch, circular side tower with curved glass windows, Classically-inspired brackets along roof soffit
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Roof dormer windows on east facing side, with the main central dormer sporting a Palladian window
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Large rectangular windows
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Association with its former role as the Bishopscote