Description of Historic Place

The Royal Bank Building is a Municipal Heritage Property located at 109 Main Street in the Village of Dysart, Saskatchewan. The property features a two-storey, wood-frame and red-brick veneer building, which was constructed in 1928.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Royal Bank Building resides in its status as one of oldest buildings in Dysart. Constructed by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1928 after a previous wooden structure was destroyed by fire, this building was used as a bank only until 1930, when economic conditions forced its closure. Several local families used the building as a private residence from the early 1940s until about 1981 when the Village acquired possession. The building’s height and brick cladding give it a prominent appearance on Dysart’s main street and distinguishes it from the surrounding properties, making it a landmark in the community.

Heritage value also resides in its architecture, which is typical of banks constructed during this period of rapid population expansion across the Prairies. The building is a modest wood-frame and brick veneer structure which could be economically and quickly erected in small communities throughout Saskatchewan. Also typical of banks constructed in the late 1920s, the building exhibits subdued decorative elements as seen in the front cornice, symmetrical lines, evenly-spaced windows, brick veneer and simple detailing projected a conservative image of security and stability. Designed originally with two front entrances, the upper level served as a residence for the branch manager.

Source:
Village of Dysart Bylaw No. 2/89.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Royal Bank Building lies in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements which reflect the property’s bank-influenced architecture, including the brick façade, cornice, symmetrical form, evenly-spaced windows, rectangular form, brick veneer and simple detailing;
-those elements which reflect its status as a community landmark, including the building’s height and brick cladding which give it a prominent appearance on Dysart’s main street and its original location on Main Street.