Government House was constructed from 1826-28 to be the residence of New Brunswick's
Governors and Lieutenant-Governors. The home is constructed of New Brunswick quarried
sandstone and situated on eleven acres on the banks of the St. John River
in Fredericton. It is a significant cultural landmark in Fredericton and
the Province of New Brunswick. From 1828 until Confederation, most of
the important decisions affecting the Province were debated in the building.
Government House had a number of
uses from Confederation to 1996. It was a school for hearing impaired
students from 1896 to 1900, a military barracks during World War
1 and a hospital for returning soldiers after the war.
From 1934 to 1988 the building served as RCMP J Division headquarters.
Since its re-opening
in 1999, New Brunswick's Government House has been open to the public.
Restored rooms include the drawing room, the dining room, a library, a
music room, two conservatories and the original Lieutenant-Governor's
office on the main floor. The second floor includes exhibit rooms and the
current Lieutenant-Governor's office. The Lieutenant-Governor's residence
is on the third floor and closed to the public.
Fifteen of New Brunswick's Governors and Lieutenant-Governors have lived and worked at Government House.