The City of Charlottetown has a new pop-up exhibit entitled, Charlottetown: A History, that honors and explores its history and development on display at the Confederation Court Mall.
This year, the City of Charlottetown celebrates 30 years of amalgamation, but it is much older. In 1765, Charlotte Town, named for Queen Charlotte, the Queen consort to George III, was chosen as the capital of the infant colony of St. John’s Island (now Prince Edward Island). By 1768, the first plan of the city was drawn up, and it contained three sections – the main town site called the 500 Lot Area (almost all the land south of Euston Street), the Common (the land north of Euston Street to approximately Allen Street) and the Royalty (the land north of Allen Street to the city limits).
Almost 100 years after it was founded, Charlottetown was incorporated in April 1855 and held its first municipal election in August of the same year, making it 170 years old. The formation of the City’s Police Department and Fire Departments soon followed.
Charlottetown grew and soon encompassed the 500 Lot Area and some of the Common. What was left of the Common and the Royalty remained and developed into separate communities. Spring Park, which grew rapidly after the Second World War, was a separate village until 1958, when it joined the City of Charlottetown. Parkdale, located in the Common and Royalty, grew into its own town. Other communities and villages like Sherwood, Winsloe, East Royalty, West Royalty and Hillsborough Park also grew independently of Charlottetown. Finally, in 1995, Hillsborough Park, Parkdale, Sherwood, East Royalty, West Royalty, Winsloe and Charlottetown amalgamated to form the City of Charlottetown.
This exhibit will showcase images and artifacts from the communities that came together to make up our beautiful city.
Located on the first floor of the Confederation Court Mall, the display can be viewed during mall hours until October 6, 2025.
The City of Charlottetown and The Prince Edward Island Regiment Museum would like to thank the Confederation Court Mall for donating this exhibit space and all of those who donated images and artifacts that made the exhibit possible.
For information on how to donate historic photos or to permit the city to scan your historic images, please contact the Planning and Heritage Department at 902-629-4051 or
[email protected].