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Kings County Courthouse

60 Kent Street, Georgetown, Île-du-Prince-Édouard, C0A, Canada

Reconnu formellement en: 2001/12/05

Front view of the Kings County Courthouse; Province of PEI, 1999
Kings County Courthouse
Design of the building was reversed from these plans when constructed; Confederation Centre Art Gallery
W.C. Harris' Plan of New Courthouse - Georgetown -
Premier of PEI (1953-1959); PEI PARO
Premier Alexander W. Matheson

Autre nom(s)

Kings County Courthouse
Alexander W. Matheson Building

Liens et documents

Date(s) de construction

1887/01/01

Inscrit au répertoire canadien: 2007/05/29

Énoncé d'importance

Description du lieu patrimonial

The Kings County Courthouse is a one and a half storey Romanesque Revival style building with a sandstone exterior that alternates between red Island and grey Wallace sandstone. The Courthouse was built in 1887 and designed by famed architect William Critchlow Harris. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Valeur patrimoniale

The Kings County Courthouse is a designated building because of its association with the judicial history of the Province and due to its unique Romanesque Revival inspired design and construction.

The building is the smallest of three principal courthouses constructed in Prince Edward Island that housed both the county and supreme courts. Built after a fire in the original wooden structure had destroyed valuable documents, the citizens of Georgetown had requested that the courthouse be built from stone or brick. The cornerstone of the building was laid on July 21, 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

The building's architectural value is due to its famous architect and the unique construction of the building. The courthouse was designed by prominent local architect William Critchlow Harris and built by Lemuel A. Wilmot for $8000.00. The Kings County Courthouse was unique as it was the only building of its type on Prince Edward Island constructed of stone. Although small for a courthouse, it dominates its surroundings and serves as a landmark. The courthouse is a rare example of the Romanesque Revival style and was constructed of both red Island and grey Wallace sandstone. The ruggedness of the rock-faced stonework is balanced by the finely moulded arches over the ground floor windows and entrances. The clipped gabled roof and asymmetrical massing is typical of Harris’ designs but atypical of traditional local courthouse designs.

In 2002, the Courthouse was also named the Alexander W. Matheson Building after the former Premier of PEI, who served from 1953 to 1959. One of his major accomplishments during office was the electrification of the rural areas of the Province - which revolutionized Island life in the mid-20th Century.

Sources- Kings County Courthouse Heritage Character Statement and
Heritage Places Advisory Board Minutes - File number: 4320-20/K1

Éléments caractéristiques

The following character-defining elements should be respected:

- The exterior rock faced stonework
- The alternating red Island sandstone and grey Wallace sandstone
- The moulded grey Wallace sandstone work of the ground floor windows and entrances
- The stone quoining at the corners
- The deeply set, relatively small, well proportioned windows typical of the Romanesque Revival style
- The shape of the roof of the courthouse with its clipped gable
- The foundation, constructed of grey Wallace sandstone
- The location of the building in the Town of Georgetown and its status as a landmark in the town

Reconnaissance

Juridiction

Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Autorité de reconnaissance

Province de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Loi habilitante

Heritage Places Protection Act

Type de reconnaissance

Endroit historique désigné

Date de reconnaissance

2001/12/05

Données sur l'histoire

Date(s) importantes

s/o

Thème - catégorie et type

Gouverner le Canada
La sécurité et la loi

Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction

Actuelle

Historique

Gouvernement
Palais de justice et/ou bureaux d'enregistrement

Architecte / Concepteur

William Critchlow Harris Junior

Constructeur

Lemuel A. Wilmot

Informations supplémentaires

Emplacement de la documentation

Culture, Heritage and Libraries Division, Prince Edward Island Department of Community and Cultural Affairs File #: 4320-20/K1

Réfère à une collection

Identificateur féd./prov./terr.

4320-20/K1

Statut

Édité

Inscriptions associées

s/o

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