Grant map showing the properties that belonged to John Jardine which formed "The Yard".
Photo: Village of Rexton
- Recognized
- 2004
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Yard consists of several acres of waterfront property in the Village of Rexton. Its location on the south side of the Richibucto River below the Rexton Bridge, on a slight curve of the river, allows for a view of several kilometers up and down the waterway.
Heritage value
John Jardine of Scotland is credited with the founding of Rexton. He arrived at the Richibucto River in the early 1800's and by 1825 had built an extensive shipbuilding and lumbering business on the site. Some remnants of these industries exist on this site today. The heritage value of The Yard resides in that historical ties and cultural backgrounds of many of the residents of the small community Rexton are tied to this locality.
As a result of successful shipbuilding and lumbering businesses, at one point, this was one of the busiest harbours in New Brunswick. Ships leaving the harbor loaded with lumber, often returned with settlers, and a community grew around this piece of water frontage. As the village developed so did its name. Known as The Yard in the early years, it became Kingston in 1841, and finally renamed Rexton in 1901. The ancestry of many of Rexton’s residents is linked to the Irish, Scots and the English, who in seeking a better life landed at this location on the Richibucto River.
SourceVillage of Rexton Local Historic Places File #2004-12
Character‑defining elements
The character defining elements relating to the location of The Yard include:
-ideal location for traditional shipbuilding activity, on the bank with the channel of the river comes to the shore at two points;
- several acres of waterfront property;
-inland from the Northumberland Strait providing sheltered waters;
-its location at a narrower part of the river where once a ferry service operated to access the north side of the village;
-its location on a slight turn in the river allowing a view of the traffic up and down the river.
The character defining elements of structures associated with The Yard include:
-remains of a ballast heap evident at low tide;
-clay bricks from the stack of a steam boiler on the shore;
- remains of cribbing at the rivers edge.
End of the register’s text
Location
45,47,49 River Street, Rexton, New Brunswick, E4W, Canada
46.64639° N, 64.86558° W
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Nearby
All 23 places in Rexton
Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.