Description of Historic Place

The Marysville Cenotaph, 190 Canada Street, is located in Veterans Memorial Park on the corner of Canada and Bridge streets. Overlooking the Nashwaak River, the site features two granite monuments and a six-pounder anti-tank gun on a landscaped lot.

Heritage Value

The Marysville Cenotaph is designated a Local Historic Place for its commemoration of those from the district who were lost in the World Wars. The First World War monument, an obelisk carved of light-coloured granite, was erected in 1925. The less ornate Second World War monument of dark granite was erected in 1967. Both monuments are surrounded by a small park featuring landscaped grounds and a variety of mature trees.

Set within Veterans Memorial Park, a small recreational site situated along the former railway line, the cenotaph is set apart from the surrounding commercial area, allowing visitors a quiet space in which to reflect. This land was donated in 1924 to the former town of Marysville by Canadian Cottons, corporate owners of the cotton mill that was the main industry of the town. The town has since become part of the City of Fredericton. Also located on the site is a six-pounder anti-tank gun, which features the artillery red-over-blue tactical sign with a white number two superimposed. The cenotaph is used as a memorial site and for annual Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Source: City of Fredericton, Local Historic Places file, “190 Canada Street”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements related to the Marysville Cenotaph include:
- placement within Veterans Memorial Park on grounds donated by Canada Cottons;
- setting within a small municipal park situated in a commercial district;
- location along a recreational trail overlooking the Nashwaak river;
- those elements that reflect the property’s commemoration of Marysville’s war veterans, including the inscriptions and names listed on both monuments, ornamentation of the monuments and landscaping around the site;
- those elements that reflect the property’s architecture and construction material, including the obelisk of the First World War monument, and the rectangular design of the Second World War monument;
- six-pounder anti-tank gun, displaying a red-over-blue tactical sign with a white number two, signifying the local battery.