Description of Historic Place

The Depot Hotel, an early 20th century vernacular red brick building, is located on a lot at right angles to the railway station and rail lines. The front façade of the building is almost on the street boundary. The designation is solely for the building.

Heritage Value

The Depot Hotel is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with the railway.

The Depot Hotel is recognized for being a good example of early 20th century vernacular commercial brick architecture. The flat roofed building is constructed in three blocks: the left block, being three storeys high, the centre block, being two storeys high and has less depth than the left, and the right block, being two storeys high. The front façade is red brick highlighted by decorative brickwork at the eaves. This decorative brickwork extends from the eaves of the two-storey section to the left of the building, delineating the third storey. The windows are arranged in a pleasing regularly spaced fashion.

The Depot Hotel is also being designated for its association with the railway. Hotels in Sussex had been built to service the railway travelers since 1880. The Depot Hotel was built in the early 1900s, after the first Depot Hotel burnt in 1911. It accommodated both business travelers and tourists.

Source: Town of Sussex - Historic Places file #5

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the location of the Depot Hotel include:
- the building’s close proximity to the railway station and railway lines;
- the building’s proximity to the street line.

The character-defining elements relating to the architecture of the Depot Hotel include:
- rectangular massing of the three-storey and both two-storey sections of the building;
- brick façade;
- regular fenestration of rectangular windows;
- decorative string course between the second and third storeys extending along the roof line of the two-storey section of the building.