This 2 ½-storey wood frame dwelling, which was constructed in 1909, is situated on the southeast corner of Lansdowne Street.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of this dwelling is associated not only with the early development of Lansdowne Street but with the prominence of its ownership. Although Lansdowne Street had been created as early as the 1880s, the area remained undeveloped until the first decade of the 20th century. This house, built for Henrietta Barker, was one of the first dwellings constructed on this street. Mrs. Barker, widow of successful dry good merchant, Alonzo Barker, resided in this house for more than a decade before converting it into a boarding house. Soon after establishing a boarding house, she became the Matron of Farraline Home, a home the aged situated on Queen Street. Mrs. Barker moved to King Street after selling this property to W.W.O. Fenety in 1924.
Witter William Oswald Fenety, grandson of Fredericton Mayor, George E. Fenety, was a telegraph operator, inventor, and motion picture proprietor. Shortly after his marriage to Clara Baxter in 1909, W.W.O. Fenety was transferred to the Canadian Pacific Railway Telegraph Company’s Montreal Office. Upon his return to Fredericton, he worked with his father, William T. H. Fenety at the Unique Motion Picture Theatre on Carleton Street as well as the nearby Gaiety Theatre. In 1917, the Fenetys amalgamated the two theatres as The Gaiety, moving its location to Queen Street. The following year, W.W.O. Fenety became the sole owner of the Gaiety, buying out his siblings upon the death of their father. W.W.O. Fenety would dominate the public entertainment industry in Fredericton, purchasing the competing theatre, The Capitol in 1930. The Capitol and Gaiety remained in operation in Fredericton until the 1970s and 1980s, respectively.
It was perhaps because of his involvement in the motion picture business that prompted W.W.O. Fenety to patent two separate inventions. He filed patents, in both Canada and the United States, for improvements to light receptacles and light sockets.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with the dwelling located at 3 Lansdowne Street include:
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2 ½-storey wood frame construction
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Situation upon a corner lot
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Medium pitched gable roof, oriented towards the street
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Large, rectangular windows
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Open, wrap-around verandah, supported by slim pilasters, with triangular pediment surmounting entrance
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Projecting bay topped with medium pitched gable roof on west facing side