Description of Historic Place

The Sanderson Centre, located at 88-90 Dalhousie Street, is situated on the north side of the street between Market and Queen Streets, in the City of Brantford. This two-storey red brick building was designed in the Edwardian Classicism style by architect Thomas Lamb and was constructed in 1919.

The property is designated for its architectural and historic value by the City of Brantford under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (Bylaw 124-88).

Heritage Value

The Sanderson Centre has been used as a theatre for close to a century. The building was designed by the renowned theatre architect Thomas Lamb who is credited with the design of 300 theatres worldwide. It first opened, in 1919, as a Vaudeville House, named The Temple Theatre, and was often referred to as “Brantford's supreme playhouse”. It hosted road-shows, symphonies, photo plays, and motion pictures.
In 1929, the theatre was sold to Famous Players for use as a movie house and was renamed the Capitol Theatre. In May of that year, the theatre introduced the “talkie” to Brantford, with the movie “Interference”, Paramount's first talkie film. A subsequent sale to the City of Brantford, in 1989, resulted in the theatre being renamed The Sanderson Centre, as a tribute to the local Sanderson family, who gave generously to good causes.

The Sanderson Centre is representative of the grand, romantic, ambition for building construction in the years immediately after WWI. From its construction, in 1919, by P.H. Secord and Sons, The Temple Theatre displayed advanced building techniques. It boasted the city's first steel girder suspended ceiling, fireproof construction, and a combined heating and ventilation system.
Built in the Edwardian Classicism style, the facade is dominated by a large glazed recessed entry, with a round-headed window above, together forming a monumental archway to the lobby beyond. The exterior also features a frieze band, with the fleur-de-lis pattern, and a projecting metal cornice.

Inside, the walls are decorated with pilasters that form arches. The vaulted ceiling is ornamented with raised ribs. The auditorium is lit by wheel-shaped chandeliers, the grandest of which hangs from a medallion, located at the convergence of the ribbing. As a result of extensive renovations, the theatre is now the combination of two buildings; 90 Dalhousie, the original Temple Theatre, and 88 Dalhousie, an adjacent shop.

Sources: Designation Information, City of Brantford, 2004; City of Brantford By-law 124-88.

Character-Defining Elements

Character Defining Elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Sanderson Centre include its:
- location in downtown Brantford
- advanced building features such as steel girder suspended ceiling, fireproofing and combined heating and ventilation system
- combination of two buildings, the original theatre and the adjacent shop
- glazed recessed entry including round-headed window
- frieze band with a fleur-de-lis pattern
- projecting metal cornice
- voussoir stones and ashlar blocks
- pilasters forming arches
- ornamented vaulted ceiling with raised ribs
- wheel-shaped chandeliers
- medallion decorated as the sun's rays