Description of Historic Place

The Salmon Arm Court House is a two-storey brick and stucco building with gable dormers, located within a grouping of three institutional buildings - the Municipal Hall, Court House and Post Office - on Hudson Avenue NE in downtown Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

Constructed in 1930 and officially opened in 1931, the Salmon Arm Court House (also known as the Provincial Building) has historical value through its use as the justice centre for the region. The Court House, together with the Municipal Hall and Post Office, have historical value through their connection as three institutions representing three levels of government located in close proximity to one another. As a group, the formal relationship of the buildings to each other at the intersection of Hudson Avenue NE and Shuswap Street in the core of the downtown is important for its representation of a civic precinct of buildings with related historical and current uses.

Also important is the siting of the buildings in the southwest corner of the former Agnes McGuire property, where streets parallel to or perpendicular with the lakeshore and railway tracks meld with the later survey grid.

Built by local contractor William Reader, the building is important aesthetically for its original angled floor plan and imposing façade with gable dormers, half timbering and decorative details. A landmark in downtown Salmon Arm, the building's overall design reflects its use as a "symbol of justice, law and order," with equally significant interior Mission wood detailing. The building's form was also functional, housing a court room, judge's chambers and jury room. A cell block was located in the basement along with the furnace and coal rooms.

Cultural value is found in the use of British Columbia-sourced construction materials and local craftsmanship. The building also has social value through its long-term community service as the location of offices for a government agent, game warden, public works, forestry and agriculture departments, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Source: City of Salmon Arm, Development Services Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Salmon Arm Court House include its:

Site:
- location in an enclave on Hudson Avenue NE in downtown Salmon Arm
- relationship of the building to the Post Office and Municipal Hall
- siting, facing south on Hudson Street
- adjacent landscaped open space with trees and lawn

Building:
- angled floor plan created by addition of third section
- gable roof with three symmetrical gable dormers; half timbering in two of the gables
- brick and stucco exterior cladding
- arched entryway and portico
- double-hung wood sash windows
- ornamental details such as decorative eave brackets and carved bargeboards