York+County+Gaol

=York County Jail=

The granite walls in this building are 1m thick and some blocks are 90cm by 40cm!

The source of the stone is near Hampstead and the trade name for this rock is the Spoon Island Granite.

Fredericton had three successive Gaols (the old spelling of Jail), of which only the most recent survives. The first stood until after 1850 (though it was not used as a gaol after 1880), the second, built of stone from the Rainsford Quarry west of the town was destroyed by the great fire of Nov. 11th, 1850. Some time previous to the fire the new Goal which presently stands at 668 Brunswick was built. The Spoon Island Granite was brought to Fredericton by boat. On the back of the building is mixed with field stone. The door on the east end was originally the main entrance and the Brunswick St. entrance was added without employing the use of the Spoon Island Granite (concrete - yuck!).

This building is currently the home of Science East, New Brunswick's science centre (you knew that, right?!)

Compare the concrete (artificial) with the granite (natural). From far away they look the same, to your trained eye, they should appear very different!
 * EXERCISE:**