Description of Historic Place

The Officers’ Mess, also known as Building 38, is prominently located at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton. The two-storey flat-roofed, building is composed of a centre block with two projecting wings. The building is highly symmetrical in plan and elevation. The walls are clad in a smooth, stucco finish with regularly arranged windows. The main entrance is located in a stepped pavilion in the center of the main body of the building and features a small amount of ornamentation, such as a crest and lettering above the doors. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Officers’ Mess is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Officers’ Mess is a very good example of a building that is associated with CFB Trenton’s central role in the Canadian Air Force’s history as the central training base for the Allies during the Second World War. The Officers’ Mess reflects base life and operations throughout the history of CFB Trenton. Its construction also illustrates unemployment relief programs initiated by the federal government during the Depression era. The social role of the Officers’ Mess has given the building a special significance for the officer class, for many the building embodies the esprit de corps of a squadron and of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a whole. The Officers’ Mess has also served an important function in linking the base with the local community, as civilians have been able to become members since 1946.

Architectural Value
The Officers’ Mess is valued for its good aesthetic and functional design. It demonstrates a simplicity of design and a minimal use of ornamentation which reflects the design program of CFB Trenton. The building exhibits a restrained classicism of symmetry and details of modern inspiration such as the smooth wall surface and the pronounced horizontality enhanced by the stringcourse decoration. Due to its particular social function, the building has more elaborate interior finishes in the public areas. The building was designed to accommodate very large numbers in its dining rooms and to provide recreational facility for officers. The Art Deco inspired stairwell and extensive wood paneling in the dining rooms are of note for their high degree of craftsmanship.

Environmental Value
The Officers’ Mess maintains an unchanged relationship to its site. The building is an important component of the grouping of pre-Second World War buildings at the base and reinforces the military character of its base setting. It is a well-known building in the region.

Sources: Officers’ Mess, Building 38, Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Trenton, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 94-106; Officers’ Mess, Building 38, CFB Trenton, Trenton, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 94-106.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Officers’ Mess should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design and very good materials and craftsmanship, for example:
- the massing, which consists of a two-storey, flat-roofed structure with a high basement and two projecting wings;
- the simple symmetry and pronounced horizontality of the building’s façade;
- the projecting entry with a small amount of traditional ornamentation, such as the crest and lettering above the doors;
- the steel frame and poured reinforced concrete structural system clad in a smooth stucco finish with stringcourse decoration;
- the regular pattern of window openings and the simple glazing;
- the interior plan;
- the Art Deco-inspired stairwell, the stained glass of the entry and extensive wood panelling in the main rooms;

The manner in which the Officers’ Mess reinforces the military character of its military base setting at CFB Trenton and is a well-known landmark, as evidenced by:
- its ongoing relationship to its formally landscaped grounds and gardens;
- its overall scale, massing, and materials, which harmonize with its adjacent buildings at the base;
- its social role, which has given the building a special significance for the officer class, as well as linked the base with the local community, which makes it well-known in the region.