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]
| Old City Hall | |
|---|---|
 Old City Hall in 2023 | |
  | |
| Former names | Guelph City Hall |
| Alternative names | Guelph Provincial Offences Courthouse |
| General information | |
| Type | Courthouse |
| Address | 59 Carden Street |
| Town or city | Guelph, Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°32′38″N 80°14′52″W / 43.54389°N 80.24778°W |
| Current tenants | Provincial Offences Court |
| Construction started | 1856 |
| Completed | 1857 |
| Owner | City of Guelph |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | William Thomas |
| Official name | Guelph City Hall National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1984 |
| Designated | 1978 |
History
editThe 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
edit- ^ "New Courthouse opens in August". Insight Guelph. City of Guelph. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- ^ a b Guelph City Hall National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_7528_1.html Ontario Heritage Trust Guelph City Hall 1856
- ^ Guelph City Hall, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
- ^ "Guelph City Hall and City Hall Annex (William Thomas, architect)". Ontario Heritage Properties Database. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ Guelph City Hall, Municipal Heritage Designation (Part IV). Canadian Register of Historic Places.
External links
edit- City of Guelph: Court Renovation and Restoration Project
- Guelph City Hall on the Canadian Register of Historic Places: National Historic Site of Canada, Ontario Heritage Act.
