Tilley House National Historic Site of Canada

Tilley House was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1965 because:

• it was the birthplace and boyhood home of Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, Father of Confederation.

It is believed that Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley (1818 - 1896) was born in this house. Originally built for a Dr. Stickles, probably in the late eighteenth century, the house was purchased by Samuel Tilley, Sir Leonard's great grandfather in 1805. It was considerably enlarged about the time that Sir Leonard Tilley left in the 1830s, with an addition to the north side and alterations to the original south end. By 1897, the house had been converted for use as a hotel. It is now managed by the Queens County Museum.

Sir Leonard Tilley spent his boyhood in this house, leaving Gagetown for work in Saint John at the age of thirteen. By 1850 he had entered politics, serving as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saint John, later Member of Parliament for Saint John and eventually Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick and a federal cabinet minister. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1879.