Other Name(s)
Court House
Gravelbourg Court House
Gravelbourg Town Office
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1926/01/01 to 1927/12/31
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2007/06/05
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Court House is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on Main Street in the Town of Gravelbourg. The property features a two storey court house clad in brick.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Court House resides in its architecture. Constructed in 1926-27, the building is one of a series of court houses designed by the office of the provincial architect. Architect and engineer Maurice Sharon designed ten provincial court houses during his tenure as provincial architect from 1916 to 1930. Several towns and cities were designated as judicial centres where court houses would be built. Larger centres, like Yorkton, Kerrobert, Prince Albert, Weyburn and Estevan, received buildings of substantial size. For smaller communities, a prototypical design was developed and realized first in Gravelbourg and later in Shaunavon, Wynyard, Melfort and Assiniboia. The Yorkton Court House, Sharon’s first design, exhibits an elaborate Beaux-Arts style common to other provincial buildings constructed before his appointment. He embraced a Colonial Revival style for the remaining nine buildings, including Gravelbourg’s court house. These buildings featured pitched roofs, rain gutters integrated with projecting metal cornices, central cupolas with attic ventilation, and brick cladding trimmed with stone. The incorporation of these design elements reduced construction costs and improved roof drainage while retaining the appropriate sense of grandeur for a judicial building.
The Court House is also valued as one of several substantial and significant buildings constructed in Gravelbourg prior to 1930. Gravelbourg is notable as a small community that is home to several monumental buildings, including the Cathedral, the Convent and the Bishop’s Residence. Related through the use of Claybank Brick and elaborate architecture, these monumental buildings have become important landmarks in the community.
Source:
Town of Gravelbourg Bylaw No. 868/89.
Character-Defining Elements
The heritage value of the Court House resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that illustrate Maurice Sharon's interpretation of Colonial Revival architecture, such as the symmetrical façades, a central cupola, sloped roof, brick walls, main entrances adorned with transoms, and entrance portico flanked with columns;
-those elements reflecting its status as a landmark in the community, such as the use of brick manufactured at the Claybank Brick Plant and the building’s orientation on its original lot.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Saskatchewan
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (SK)
Recognition Statute
Heritage Property Act, s. 11(1)(a)
Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Property
Recognition Date
1989/01/26
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Governing Canada
- Security and Law
Function - Category and Type
Current
- Government
- Town or City Hall
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
File: MHP 1249
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
MHP 1249
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a