Description of Historic Place
CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35, a single storey, brick structure located in the former hospital complex, is united to two other buildings by a covered verandah and features a hipped roof. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 is historically associated with the role of providing essential medical services in maintaining Esquimalt as the headquarters of the Pacific Station of the Royal Navy from 1865-1905. From 1922 to the mid-1930s it became a central element of a national medical program set up to care for World War I casualties and service personnel suffering from tuberculosis. The former hospital houses the first west coast Royal Canadian Navy training establishment, illustrating the evolution of Canadian control over all aspects of national defence.
Architectural Value
CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 represents a significant phase in the evolution of hospital planning and design. It and Building 39 are part of a rare surviving Canadian example of a ‘pavilion hospital’. This building type was popular in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to counter overcrowding and the spread of diseases, through improved ventilation and greater separation of functions.
The Environmental Value
CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 is an important anchor and a visually integral part of the complex. It reinforces the character of its integrated setting within the Royal Navy Hospital complex. The landscaped setting is important to the historical and architectural integrity of the building. It maintains a visual and physical relationship with two linked buildings.
Sources:
Ian Doull, Museum Square (Former Royal Naval Hospital, Seven Buildings), Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Report, 88-154; Building 35, Museum Square, CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 88-154.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 should be respected.
Its functional plan, very good craftsmanship and materials, for example:
-its one-storey brick structure;
-its L-shaped plan with small projecting side wings at the front and back, an arrangement typical for ‘pavilion hospitals’ of the period;
-its hipped roof, covered verandah, raised foundation, bracketed cornice and the segmentally-arched door and window openings with stone surrounds, that give the building an architectural consistent with the other buildings in the compound;
-its intermediate porch with rich Italianate detailing between the wings.
The manner in which CFB Esquimalt, Naden, Museum Square, Building No. 35 reinforces the character of its integrated landscaped setting and is a prominent landmark within the complex as evidenced by:
-the building’s relationship to Buildings 37 and 39 and the arrangement of site features within the compound;
-the open space quality on the building’s harbour side, promoting the façade;
-the architectural vocabulary of the building that is consistent with buildings in the compound.
