Downtown in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
King Square
Photographed by Jay Noble, September 2, 2026
1. King Square Marker
During the greater part of the 19th century, King Square was surrounded by residences and a number of busy commercial and small industrial activities. Beer and Sons was a store that sold a wide variety of goods. John Hobbs made hats, Uriah Matthews and James Cunningham made carriages and sleighs. Patrick Duffy had a grocery story and there were furniture and casket makers. Archibald White operated a foundry and machine shop that made such things as boilers, moving machines and mussel mud diggers. In most cases, the owners lived adjacent to their business. It certainly was an area of town that supported the call for Islanders to encourage home manufacturing.
It is however the Butcher family that is being focused on in this public art display. Their prominence in the furniture business and yes even in casket making and funeral services as well as team laundering made them the most prominent
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William Butcher emigrated with his family to Prince Edward Island in 1829. They settled in Charlottetown on the north side of King Square. William was a furniture maker as was his son, Mark and his two daughters were married to cabinet makers. George Douglas, another King Square cabinet maker, had some connection with the family. The important matter is that they were all involved around King Square in the mid 19th century.
Mark Butcher first advertised his workshop in 1835 and from then on he continued to produce furniture until his death in 1883. He was undoubtedly the most prolific furniture maker of his time on PEI. During a peak period he employed over forty men.
Butcher branched out into architecture when he became involved with Thomas Alley in the building of Trinity Church in 1863. Later, he took on the design of the 1867 wooden market building on Queen Square. As if that was not enough, he build railway cars for the PEI Railway and when they were finished, he moved them down Hillsborough Street to the rail yards. He was a respected
Photographed by Jay Noble, September 2, 2026
2. King Square Marker
When Butcher died in 1883, his nephew Mark Wright took over his business and continued to produce in the old Douglas/Butcher factory until it burnt in 1887. Wright then build the building that stands on that site to this day. His brother, George Dudley Wright, left the furniture factory and dedicated himself to the funeral business that today survives as MacLeans Funeral Home still on King Square.
These replicas of one of the most common Butcher chairs are a tribute to a family that was very important in Island history. The sculptor for the works was Kip Jones of Sackville, New Brunswick and they were fabricated by John Kelligrew of Liberty Enterprises of Amhers, Nova Scotia. The city is proud to share this story with you.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1771.
Location. 46° 14.331′ N, 63° 7.446′ W. Marker is unreadable. Marker is in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. It is in Downtown. It is on Ole King Square south of Weymouth Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20 Ole King Square, Charlottetown PE C1A 1P8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony and also the Viceroyalty of New France.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Fairholm (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); The Prince Edward Island Memorial Fountain / Fontaine Commιmorative de l'Ξle-du-Prince-Θdouard (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Notre Dame Convent (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Trinity Church (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Quebec/Quebec (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Canadian Female Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); New Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Newfoundland/Terre-Neuve (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottetown.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
