THE ROSSLAND COURT HOUSE
The first court house ever erected in Rossland was located on the lot now occupied by Alpine Drug Mart, in 1894. This building also had the distinction or being the second building ever constructed in Rossland. The hewn log building served as the provincal government offices, the gaol (jail), and the court house in Rossland for a period of one year.
The second court house was located on the north side of Columbia Avenue, west of the Shell Station up against the rock bluff. The court house remained here until Rossland was incorporated in 1897, at which time plans for a more commodious court house were considered to accommodate the growing city.
The site finally decided upon was on the corner of Columbia and Monte Christo. Because of the steep incline it was not an ideal site for building. Despite this fact the location was chosen and construction began.
Mr. John J. Honeyman, a Scot who made his home in Rossland, was the architect who designed the Rossland Court House. Honeyman borrowed a few significant features form Rattenbury's Nanaimo Court House, as is evident in the following observation:
The front façades of both are dominated by symmetrical corner towers topped with pyramidal roofs. Honeyman extended this feature by adding an additional tower at the rear of his design, thereby giving a curious fortress-like appearance to the building.
The Rossland Miner reviewed the opening ceremonies in a lengthy article in the June 30th, 1901 edition. Mr. Justice Martin presided over the ceremony,
"attired in a crimson robe deeply edged with ermine." The members of the bar wore conventional wigs and gowns while their wives observed from the jury box. The interior of the court house was decorated for the grand opening. The citizens of Rossland were pleasantly surprised to find that the carpeted floors displayed arrangements of large palms and other plants.
James Lawn, a local contractor, received the contract to construct the court house, as his low bid of $38,000 was accepted. Lawn worked on the building for a period of one year and then quit before completion. The Department of Public Works took over construction after Lawn's departure. The final cost of the building was $53,000, exceeding projected costs.
The courtroom is demonstrative of the exquisite wood-work which is found throughout the building. The following excerpt from
The Rossland Miner described what the courtroom would look like after its completion:
The courtroom is finished with half open timber roof, the hammer beam truss being used with matched cedar laid diagonally in panels-- the roof principals being filled in with simple tracery in cedar. The heavy square moulded balusters in front of the public gallery, the high wainscot in panelled cedar with surmounting cornice carried to the height of the doors, the heavy scroll work over the doors, remind one somewhat of Tudor or Elizabethan days and harmonize with the solemnity and dignity of a court of justice.
The courtroom has been preserved and has escaped the "modernization" inflicted on many heritage buildings.
The most impressive attraction to the courtroom is the 9' by 15' stained glass window.
The Miner also offered a detailed description of this striking window:
In the central compartment are the arms of British Columbia which are guarded by a caribou and a mountain sheep. The centre of the shield is occupied by the Union Jack, over which is the rising sun. This is surmounted by a coronetted helmet over which is a crowned lion. Below is the scroll "Splendour Sine Ossasu". Flanking this blazon are the arms of Matthew Bailey Begbie, the first Chief Justice of British Columbia, and of Sir James Douglas. The whole will be rendered in colour and with the mid-day sun shining through, should look particularly well over the canopied seat of justice.
The first floor of the court house now holds the provincial government offices, including the Government Agent's office. In the 1930s, part of the first floor was set aside for a Government Liquor Store. The basement floor, previously used as a jail, housed Rossland's library for many years until 1984 when the new library was completed. The second floor is where the courtroom is situated, flanked on either side by the Judge's chambers, Barristers' room, Law library, a smaller courtroom and the Sheriff's office.
As miners flocked to Rossland in the hope of finding a fortune, the need for law enforcement became more apparent. The construction of this magnificent structure successfully foreshadowed the permanence of Rossland as a city and firmly entrenched law and order in this corner of the province.
Researched and written by
Sheila Corrado
From the plaque