Description du lieu patrimonial

The Wadena Town Office is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on two municipal lots in the Town of Wadena. The designation applies to a one-storey, brick-clad building at 102 Main Street, the town’s main thoroughfare.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of the Wadena Town Office lies in its connection to the establishment of governance in the community. The structure was built in 1938 by the Dominion government to serve as both a Post Office and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station. Located on the prominent corner of Main Street and 1st Avenue, the modern style and brick materials combine to convey a sense of permanency and security, an image desired by the government during the interwar period. The building was purchased by the Town of Wadena in 1971 for use as its office, continuing the role of the building as a prominent government institution in the community.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its architecture. Designed by architect Charles Sutherland of the federal Department of Public Works, the building is a rare surviving example of the short-lived style of small public buildings in Canada constructed during the 1930s. The building design follows the Art Deco style, but also contains many elements of Classical design; a combination which projects simplicity, security and permanency. The unadorned nature of the design, combined with minimal interior office space, resulted in a striking building at a moderate cost; an important consideration during the period. The use of this design for federal government buildings stopped with the advent of World War II and never resumed. The distinctive style of the building makes it a landmark in the community.

Source:

Town of Wadena Bylaw No. 16/86.

Éléments caractéristiques

The heritage value of the Wadena Town Office resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those features associated with the establishment of governance in the community of Wadena, such as the location of the building on its original site, the flagpole, date stone, and clock;
-those architectural features that represent the Art Deco style mixed with Classical elements, such as its stepped parapet, raised front entrance, stylized double front entry doors, symmetrical façade with double-hung windows, Tyndall Stone door surrounds and window ledges, inscription slab, and the use of decorative header bricks that band the building at several levels.