The former St. Mary’s Ferry Landing was located at the mouth of St. Mary’s Street. For more than half a century a ferryboat plied the St. John River between Fredericton and the St. Mary’s shoreline, connecting the two communities.
Statement of Significance
The St. Mary’s Ferry Landing was pivotal in shaping the identity and character of the community which bore its name. St. Mary’s Ferry developed and prospered as a direct result of the ferry landing.
The St. Mary’s Ferry Landing provided a focal point for the early settlement of the village. St. Mary’s Street, which would become the commercial and residential heart of the community, funneled traffic from the ferry landing. Businesses directly related to ferry traffic emerged in the immediate vicinity of the landing. Hotels and grocery stores clustered about the riverbank to serve the needs of ferry passenger traffic.
The completion of the highway bridge in 1886 not only curtailed ferry service but threatened the commercial interests of the main street connected to the ferry landing. A new road, which connected the bridge road with the main street, preserved identity and commercial interests of St. Mary’s Street. However, ferry service ceased in the spring of 1886.
The village of St. Mary’s Ferry, named in honour of the ferry landing integral to its growth and development, later amalgamated with the neighbouring village of Gibson. In 1917, St. Mary’s Ferry and Gibson became incorporated as the Town of Devon.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with the St. Mary’s Ferry landing include:
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its situation along the shore opposite Fredericton
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its function as the landing point for ferryboats
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its crucial importance to the growth and development of the village of St. Mary’s Ferry
- its role in forming the identity of a community