1925, Patriarch John Howe at right

City Adds "Howe" Property & Cemetery To Local Historical Places Register (February 08, 2010)

Description
A substantial parcel of land, situated on 730-780 Howe Street on the North side of Fredericton, has not only provided a home but the final resting place for generations of the Howe family, a prominent local black family. This street was named in honour of the Howe family, who first settled in this portion of St. Mary’s Parish in the late 19th Century, and shortly thereafter established a family burial plot on the property.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Howe property is associated with the generational ownership and occupancy of the Howe family. It is also the site of the Howe Family Cemetery. The large Howe family, headed by John Howe, became the nucleus of a significant local black community situated at St. Mary’s Parish, York County. Born in Prince Edward Island, John Howe moved to Fredericton during the early 1850s. He remained in the city, working at Morrison’s Mills, for more than twenty years before settling at St. Mary’s Parish, in what was later known as North Devon. John Howe acquired the land from his second wife’s father, Joseph McIntyre, in 1877.

The Howe family became prominent members of the local black community and had strong ties to other black communities in the greater Fredericton area. The Howe family had familial and social connections to the black communities at Fredericton, Lincoln, and Springhill. The industrious Howe family also gained notoriety for their contributions to World War I. Three of John Howe’s sons served overseas, having joined combat units.