York County was named for Prince Frederick-Augustus, who was the Duke of York and the second son of King George III of Great Britain.
County Created : 1785 ( one of the 8 original counties )
County Seat:
Fredericton 1785 – present
Courthouse – Fredericton
Location: 427 Queen Street / York Street
Built: 1930 – 1931
Style: Georgian
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces southwest and is a three story red coloured brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the city centre opposite Phoenix Park The southwest front has a central entrance with three arches, pink coloured granite columns and recessed entrance. The corners of the building are trimmed with granite. The roof line is flat. The east and west wings are two story.
Note: The building was originally part of the Military Compound for the British Imperial Regiments stationed there from 1784 until they withdrew in 1869. The land was bought for the construction of the Normal School in 1876. In 1914 an annex was added and it is still standing. But then, in 1929, the main part of the building burned down, leaving just a shell. But the pink granite pillars at the front of the building survived this very dramatic fire. By 1931, a larger and more modern facility was built. The building became the Teachers’ College in 1947. When the College closed in the late 1960s, it was preserved as the Provincial Justice Building.
New Brunswick Court of Appeal
Description: The New Brunswick Court of Appeal is housed in the Justice Building. The Court of Appeal courtroom is located on the third story in the centre of the building. The judges light coloured wood bench is at the south end of the chamber with windows along the east side. There is an :inner Bar” being the first row of seating with red coloured baize coverings and sloped platform desks for lawyers and an “Outer Bar” with green coloured baize coverings designated for the use of junior members of the bar who are not Queen’s Counsel, At the rear of the chamber is the public seating area with blue coloured seats.
On the second story is a second courtroom. The desks, cabinetry and decorative elements are finely crafted in dark-stained wood. This courtroom is used for hearing an appeal by a panel of three judges.
Old Courthouse – Fredericton
Location: 635 Queen Street / Campbelltown Lane
Built: 1855 – 1858
Style: Georgian
Architect: John Davis
Contractor: John Davis
Description: The building faces southwest and is a three story red coloured brick structure. The rectangular building has a central white coloured wood framed entrance on the south front. The lower windows are arched and the second story windows are rectangular. The roof is hipped. The architect was and the contractor was John Davis. The building was renovated in 1881 to 1883 and 1954. The building was destroyed by fire in 2013.
Note: The original building was designed by James Taylor as a market house in 1814.
Courthouses:
N – Carleton County, Victoria County and Northumberland County
E – Sunbury County
S – Charoltte County
W – Maine and Carleton County
Courthouse
Court of Appeal courtroom
Small Court of Appeal Chamber
Court of Queen’s Bench Courtroom
Old Courthouse
Photos taken 1997, 2006 and 2018