Description of Historic Place

This two-and-a-half storey house, constructed in 1897, is situated on the east side of Odell Avenue between Charlotte and Brunswick Streets. The large, wood frame dwelling faces Wilmot Park.

Heritage Value

Completed in 1897, this house was one of the dwellings constructed on Odell Avenue during the building boom immediately following the 1895 opening of Wilmot Park. Most of the lots made available in 1895 had been sold and built upon by 1897. Odell Avenue, created in 1895 and originally known as Park Street, was considered one of the most desirable locations to build given its proximity to the new park. The building boom in this vicinity not only redefined city limits but offered residents new housing options.

Frederick W. Risteen, employed at J.C. Risteen’s woodworking factory and a member of that prominent local family, sold his house on Smythe Street and purchased this lot on the new street in 1897. This house, which was completed that same year, stands as an example of late-19th century growth and development which pushed settlement beyond Fredericton’s traditional city limits.

Source: City of Fredericton, Historic Places File, “216 Odell Avenue”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the dwelling at 216 Odell Avenue include:
- manicured lawn;
- two-and-a-half storey wood frame structure;
- medium-pitched gable roof, with gable end facing the street;
- large, rectangular windows;
- Queen Anne Revival-inspired details such as a broad, wraparound veranda and the decorative woodwork in the tympanum of the front gable pediment.