Guelph City Hall National Historic Site of Canada, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 43° 32.634 W 080° 14.882
17T E 560748 N 4821491
Guelph City Hall, located at the intersection of Carden and Wyndham streets, is the centre piece of a downtown with prominent heritage buildings which include the armouries and nearby church Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Waymark Code: WM660P
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 04/09/2009
Views: 4
William Thomas, well known as architect of St Lawrence Hall in Toronto, designed Guelph City Hall almost three decades after the town was founded by John Galt in 1827. It is constructed of dolomite, a striking light coloured stone which resembles marble. He adopted the Renaissance Revival style which is closely associated with the Italianate. City Hall initially incorporated a Market House in its west wing and basement which served the surrounding agricultural community. The federal plaque, installed in 1991 and which for some reason lies horizontally, is in poor condition but reads as follows:
“Guelph City Hall: Many Canadian cities erected well-designed municipal buildings during the mid-19th century railway boom. Guelph City Hall, one of the best of this group, symbolized the city’s confidence in its future. Designed by Toronto architect William Thomas, it was constructed in 1856-1857. Although the interior has been altered, the smoothly dressed stonework and delicate carving of the exterior design provide an elegant and refined example of civic architecture in a classical style.”
Sources; 1) Gilbert Stelter "Guelph's Heritage: A Walking Tour of the Downtown Core," 1995. 2) City of Guelph website.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Guelph
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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