Description of Historic Place

Churchfield Barracks is a twelve unit one-and-a-half storey brick row house in the Gothic Revival style, on Brunswick Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. These buildings were built by the British Army in 1903. They became known as the Churchfield Barracks as the garrison church was located nearby. The municipal heritage designation applies to the building and the lot they occupy.

Heritage Value

Churchfield Barracks are valued for their association with the British Army in Halifax at the turn of the twentieth century. These residential buildings were built by the British as barracks and were completed in 1903. At one time the army garrison church was located where Trinity Church now stands and the barracks became locally known as the ‘Churchfield Barracks.’ They were first listed in the Halifax City Directory in 1902 as the "New Military Barracks" on the garrison chapel grounds. They are also locally known as the Twelve Apostles.

Architecturally, Churchfield Barracks valued as a good example Gothic Revival style and is unique within Nova Scotia. The units feature steeply pitched gabled roofs with covered porch entrances that provide shelter and easy run off of rain and snow. Each unit features a gabled Gothic style dormer and an enclosed porch with a small window. As well each unit has a segmental window on the first storey with radiating voussoir and sandstone window sill. This twelve unit row house provides a tangible link with the city’s significant military past.

Source: Heritage Property File: 2046 - 2068 Brunswick Street, Churchfield Barracks

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Churchfield Barracks related to its Gothic Revival style and original use as military housing and include:

- unified form and appearance of the 12 units;
- red brick construction and brick decorative detail;
- Gothic gable dormers;
- symmetrically spaced gables;
- chimney pots;
- matching enclosed porches;
- slight arch on windows;
- string course separating first and second storeys;
- sandstone window sills;
- rear exterior cupboards on each unit that could be accessed from inside – used to deliver groceries.