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Wynyard Court House

410 Avenue C E, Wynyard, Saskatchewan, S0A, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2002/02/14

Front Facade of the Wynyard Court House featuring the symetrical massing, 2005; Government of Saskatchewan, Jay Kasperski, 2005.
Front facade
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Other Name(s)

Wynyard Court House
Wynyard Court House
Wynyard Court House

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1927/01/01 to 1927/12/31

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/01/03

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Wynyard Court House is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on 1.45 ha of grounds on the corner of 4th Street and Avenue C E in Wynyard. The property features a two-storey, brick building constructed in 1928.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Wynyard Court House lies in its architecture. The building is one of a series of court houses designed by the office of the provincial architect, a government department responsible for the design and/or supervision of all public buildings from 1905 until the office was discontinued in the early 1930s amidst the depression. Architect and engineer Maurice Sharon held the position between 1916 and 1930 and is credited with the design of ten Provincial court houses. Several towns and cities were identified as judicial centres with those at Yorkton, Kerrobert, Prince Albert, Weyburn and Estevan receiving buildings of substantial size, while those at Gravelbourg, Shaunavon, Wynyard, Melfort and Assiniboia received more modest buildings that share an identical prototypical design. While Sharon’s first courthouse at Yorkton exhibited an elaborate Beaux-Arts style, similar to other government buildings constructed to that time, he embraced a Colonial Revival style for the remaining nine buildings. These buildings featured pitched roofs, rain gutters integrated with projecting metal cornices, central cupola with attic ventilation, and brick cladding trimmed with stone. The incorporation of these design elements enabled the government to reduce construction costs and solve technical problems of roof drainage while retaining the appropriate sense of grandeur and presence symbolic of a judicial building.

The heritage value of the Wynyard Court House also lies in its prominence in the community. Situated on large, landscaped grounds on a prominent corner in Wynyard, the building is a local landmark due to its size, brick cladding, and location.

Source:

Town of Wynyard Bylaw No. 54/02.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Wynyard Court House resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those architectural elements that reflect the Colonial Revival style of architecture, such as the building's symmetry, sloped roof, portico, and entrance trim;
-those architectural elements specific to Saskatchewan court houses designed by Maurice Sharon that speak to the Wynyard Court House's design as part of a series of prototypical buildings, such as the hip roof, central cupola, and metal cornice with integral rain gutters;
-those elements associated with the building's prominence in the community, including its size, brick cladding, the sign on the front exterior, interior doorknobs with a map of Saskatchewan, and its location on a large maintained lot at the corner of 4th Street and Avenue C E.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Saskatchewan

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (SK)

Recognition Statute

Heritage Property Act, s. 11(1)(a)

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Property

Recognition Date

2002/02/14

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Governing Canada
Security and Law

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Government
Courthouse and/or Registry Office

Architect / Designer

Sharon, Maurice W.

Builder

Smith Brothers and Wilson

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation Heritage Resources Branch 1919 Saskatchewan Drive Regina, SK MHP 2189

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

MHP 2189

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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