Old Princetown Road

Old Princetown Road (also known as Old Malpeque Road or simply Malpeque Road) is an historic colonial road in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Dating to at least 1771, the approximately 59-kilometre (37 mi) road was an important inland commercial and military route connecting the town of Princetown or Malpeque with the colonial capital at Charlottetown. A large part of the former road is now in use as Route 2 between Charlottetown and Hunter River, while other parts remain as gravel roads or dirt paths, and some portions have been replaced entirely by farmland. A short section near South Granville is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

The road began in Charlottetown at an intersection with Euston and Great George streets, bearing north. It passed through suburbs north of Charlottetown, curving to the west through Winsloe then bearing north-west through Hunter River. The road continued on nearly the same bearing past Hazel Brook, South Granville,Graham's Road, Clinton and Margate. West of Margate the road turned north again, bearing directly for Princetown.

The road was first envisioned by French colonial leaders around 1733. The British took control of the colony in 1758 following the Seven Years' War, and quickly recognized the importance of an inland route between the county seats of Princetown and Charlottetown. Work on improving the French road began in 1771.

In 1797, Colonel Joseph Robinson's orders to muster were ignored by the Prince County Regiment, based in Princetown. On the morning of September 5, Lieutenant-Governor Edmund Fanning marched the Princetown Road with a force of volunteers from Charlottetown to put down the insurrection. This event became known in local lore as the Siege of Malpeque.

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