Description du lieu patrimonial

100 Victoria Street East, also known as the “Old Bank of Montreal” and as “Heritage Court”, is a tall one-storey building of local red sandstone. The south-facing structure stands on the corner of Victoria East and LaPlanche Streets in the heart of Amherst, Nova Scotia’s commercial district. Built in 1906, it shares the street with a number of large, prominent stone buildings erected at the turn of the twentieth century. The building and property are included in the municipal designation.

Valeur patrimoniale

100 Victoria Street East is valued as an important part of one of the most architecturally distinct streetscapes in the province. Value is also found in its association with local industry.

Architectural Value: Built as a bank, this is a good example of early twentieth century commercial architecture, and is a blend of the Classical Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. It has a symmetrical three-bay façade, and a centred entrance in a central frontispiece crowned with a large moulded pediment. Two freestanding columns flank the entry, and the recessed double door is topped with a large fanlight and a stone arch. The fanlights and arches are also found above the other windows in the building, in particular, the band of windows facing LaPlanche Street.

Historical Value: The bank was designed by well-known Maritime architect J. C. Dumaresq. The construction of the building has been accredited to James Reid of Sydney and to Rhodes, Curry Co. of Amherst. Rhodes, Curry Co. installed the interior and was an important business in the industrial, commercial, and architectural history of Amherst and Nova Scotia. This company was the contractor and builder of a number of grand homes and businesses throughout Nova Scotia. The bank was built of rough-cut, red sandstone from the Amherst Red Stone Quarry. Stone from this quarry was used for buildings throughout the Maritimes and Ontario because of its rich red colour and because it was easily carved. The Amherst Red Stone Quarry Co. operated between 1889 and 1914.

Source: “Heritage Properties Amherst, 100 Victoria East” File, Cumberland County Museum

Éléments caractéristiques

General character-defining elements of 100 Victoria Street East include:

- local red sandstone building materials;
- location in and contribution to a significant Victorian era streetscape.

Character-defining Classical Revival elements of 100 Victoria East include:

- symmetrical and proportioned front façade;
- large pediment over central bay;
- free-standing columns with simply decorated capitals on each side of entrance;
- deep frieze;
- pilasters;
- fanlights.

Character-defining Romanesque Revival elements of 100 Victoria East include:

- large scale massing of the building;
- rough-cut stone walls;
- semi-circular arches on front and side windows.