Old City Hall (Guelph)

Old City Hall
Old City Hall in 2023
Old City Hall in 2023
Old City Hall (Guelph) is located in Ontario
Old City Hall (Guelph)
Former namesGuelph City Hall
Alternative namesGuelph Provincial Offences Courthouse
General information
TypeCourthouse
Address59 Carden Street
Town or cityGuelph, Ontario
CountryCanada
Coordinates43°32′38″N 80°14′52″W / 43.54389°N 80.24778°W / 43.54389; -80.24778
Current tenantsProvincial Offences Court
Construction started1856
Completed1857
OwnerCity of Guelph
Design and construction
Architect(s)William Thomas
Official nameGuelph City Hall National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1984
Designated1978

Old City Hall is a historic building and a National Historic Site of Canada in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, which until April 2009 served as the headquarters of the city government. The building is now used as the Provincial Offences Courthouse, which handles matters such as traffic tickets, trespassing and liquor licence violations.[1]

History

The hall was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by Toronto architect William Thomas, and constructed 1856–1857.[2] The building, which included an indoor market area, administrative offices, and a large assembly hall, was constructed from locally quarried stone.[3]

In 1984, it was designated a National Historic Site because

[I]t is an example of a multi-functional city hall; it symbolized the city's confidence in its future; and the smoothly dressed stonework and delicate carving of the exterior design provide an elegant and refined example of civic architecture in a classical style.[2][4]

The building is also designated under Part 4 of the Ontario Heritage Act.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "New Courthouse opens in August". Insight Guelph. City of Guelph. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b Guelph City Hall National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  3. ^ http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_7528_1.html Ontario Heritage Trust Guelph City Hall 1856
  4. ^ Guelph City Hall, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
  5. ^ "Guelph City Hall and City Hall Annex (William Thomas, architect)". Ontario Heritage Properties Database. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  6. ^ Guelph City Hall, Municipal Heritage Designation (Part IV). Canadian Register of Historic Places.