Charlottetown Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Charlottetown

During a 1775 raid by American privateers, Charlottetown was plundered and several officials were taken captive. Yet the residents had the last laugh. They rebuilt the town the following year.

Charlottetown lies on the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people, long before European arrival. The first European settlement in the area began in 1720, when French colonists from Louisbourg established Port-la-Joye on the opposite side of the harbour. In 1758, during the Seven Years’ War, the British took control of the island, deporting many French settlers and establishing military control.

After the British took over, surveyor Samuel Holland chose the present site as the seat of government and in 1764 designated the area as capital of Queens County. The name “Charlottetown” was adopted soon after, in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. Over the years, streets and public squares were laid out, and Charlottetown grew steadily as a colonial administrative centre.

Formal colonial government presence increased when Governor Walter Patterson arrived in 1770 and military infrastructure, such as Fort George, were established to defend the growing settlement. Charlottetown was incorporated as a city on April 17, 1855.

Its most famous moment arrived in September 1864, when it hosted the Charlottetown Conference, a meeting among colonial leaders of British North America. Although originally intended to discuss union among the Maritime colonies, the conference pivoted-and laid some of the intellectual and political groundwork for Canadian Confederation. When Prince Edward Island eventually joined Confederation in 1873, Charlottetown’s role as the island’s capital and political center was cemented.

Through the 19th and 20th centuries, Charlottetown remained modest in size but evolved in character-shipbuilding, local trade, governance, educational institutions, and cultural life became central to its identity.

Walking through downtown Charlottetown, you’ll pass charming red brick buildings, heritage homes, and narrow streets laid out by colonial surveyors. The highlights are the Province House-the site of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference-flanked by Victorian façades, stately Government House, and public sculptures. Shops, cafés, and galleries nestle among tree-lined sidewalks. Waterfront views over Hillsborough Bay, with small boats and piers, add a maritime frame to the city’s historic core.

Charlottetown has been plundered, rebuilt, celebrated, and reimagined. From a raided outpost to the “Birthplace of Confederation,” the transformation has been remarkable. Let your imagination run free and add your own narrative to the archives of this small but mighty city.