Notwithstanding its relative youth, the Annapolis County Court House is today the oldest courthouse in Canada still in continuous use. As well, it is both a Canadian National Historic Site and a Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Property.
Somewhat unusually, this courthouse building was designed, not by architects, but by magistrates of the County’s Grand Jury, to be built by master craftsman Francis LeCain. The building's cost of 2500 pounds sterling was possibly justified when it was described in the media of the day as “expensive and magnificent” and “probably the best in the province” after its completion.
The town's and county's original wooden courthouse, built on this site about 1791, burned on April 9, 1836. This, its replacement, was built in 1837 with granite blocks two-and-a-half feet thick on the first floor to house jail cells and vaults. Offices and the oak-paneled courtroom occupy the second floor. The cupola atop and a rear extension were added during renovations done in 1922-23.
Annapolis County Court House
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Annapolis County Court House is a solid, well-preserved, two story Palladian building located at the corner of St. George Street and Prince Albert Road in Annapolis Royal, NS. It occupies a dominant position in an historic neighborhood of eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings. It sits on a rise of land overlooking the Annapolis River basin and adjacent to Fort Anne National Historic Site and the Old Garrison Burying Ground. Provincial registration applies to both the building and the land.
HERITAGE VALUE
Annapolis Royal is reported in 1721 to have hosted the first sitting of the Court of Judicature to administer the common law of England within what is now Canada. The present Annapolis County Court House, built in 1837, is valued for its continuing function as a courthouse and jail, the oldest such building in Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada. It is also associated with popular accounts of public hangings and floggings on the Court grounds.
Designed by magistrates of the County’s Grand Jury and built by master builder Francis LeCain in 1836-1837, the Annapolis County Court House replaces an earlier (1793) wood frame court house and gaol that stood on the same site and burned in 1836. It is also significant because it embodies the pure symmetry, horizontality and Classical Revival detailing of the Palladian Style. A major renovation was undertaken and a rear addition built in 1922-1923, to the design of the prominent Nova Scotia architect Leslie R. Fairn. At this time the octagonal cupola at the roof crest and the first story stucco cladding were added.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Exterior Character Defining Elements of the Annapolis County Court House include:
- two storey building with symmetrical, 5-bay front facade and hipped roof;
- all elements of the Palladian Classical Revival style including:
rectangular massing with distinct horizontal divisions;
hipped roof with remaining original corner chimney;
5 bay symmetrical front façade;
4 column portico with pediment centred on front façade on raised granite base; historic and original interior elements of Court Room.
- granite split staircase leading to second story courtroom entrance on front façade;
- staircase carries a four column, colonnaded portico of modified Tuscan order, with matching pilasters;
- portico carries a projecting Palladian pediment enclosing “Court House” sign;
- two-leaf, six-panel Georgian oak entry doors with elliptical transom (fan light) at second storey;
- octagonal cupola at roof crest;
- six-over-six, single hung windows replace earlier twelve-over-twelve sashes;
- frame of rusticated granite first storey and second story flush board timber, both clad in stucco and separated by a timber belt course;
- Federal commemorative stone on front lawn;
- one remaining of four original tall masonry chimneys at the building corners.
Interior Character Defining Elements include:
- second storey Court Room, featuring: dark wood dais/judge’s bench backed by Palladian rear screen; wainscoting of oak veneer;
significant collection of judges’ portraiture.
From Historic Places Canada