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 Charlotte County Court House - St Andrews, NB Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 04.531 W 067° 02.965
19T E 653533 N 4993190
The oldest courthouse in Canada still in use, the St. Andrews courthouse, along with the old Gaol beside it, have become major tourist attractions for the town.
Waymark Code: WMR3QB
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Date Posted: 05/09/2016
Views: 4
Though we can't yet state it with certainty, it appears that the coat of arms (COA) of Charlotte County has been installed on the portico of the Charlotte County Courthouse. Carved from wood in 1858 by Charles Kennedy, we believe this brightly coloured relief to be the COA of Charlotte County as it is closely patterned after the COA of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. A great number of places in North America have been named after her, Charlotte County being just one.
Coat of Arms of Queen Charlotte, used from 1816
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
AND
PROVINCIAL HERITAGE PLACE
Back in the 1800s, the local courthouse was often the place where the community gathered. Such was the case for the Charlotte County Courthouse, built in 1839-40.
Thomas Berry designed this historic building in classical-revival style. It combines the plain practicality of a one-story clapboard structure with a remarkable temple facade, complete with a roof pediment supported by Tuscan columns. This is where 19th-century citizens came together for elections, fairs, parades and official visits. Still in use today, it is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Canada. It is recognized as a National Historic site and Provincial Heritage Place.
Appropriately enough, the county ‘gaol’ sits right next door. This building is a little older, dating back to 1832, and is a Provincial Heritage Place. In fact, it was still used as a jail right up until the late 1970s. The walls are thick and the cells were uncomfortable with tiny window openings and narrow doorways. It’s not hard to grasp the harshness of the early justice system.
Today, this building houses the Charlotte County Archives. Guided tours of the County Courthouse and the Old Gaol cells are offered, as well as historical walking tours and evening ghost walks. The Archives also sometimes hold ‘A Night in the Haunted Gaol’ events for children aged 8 to 12. The night includes a ghost walk around the town of St. Andrews and a sleepover in the Old Gaol. On Canada Day, the Archives sets up a jail on Market Square where you can purchase warrants to have your friends and loved ones locked up or buy get out of jail free cards. Lastly a Heritage Homes Tour is given in August. Tickets must be purchased at the Archives. Please contact the Gaol or visit us for more information.
From the Tourism New Brunswick
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Charlotte County Court House
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Charlotte County Court House consists of a one-storey Neoclassical wood clapboard building. It is formally situated on a plot of land that is one of the original public town squares in the town of St. Andrews.
HERITAGE VALUE
Charlotte County Court House is designated a Provincial Historic Site for its architecture and for its continued use as a courthouse.
Charlotte County Court House is recognized for its architecture. It is an elegant structure that illustrates its functional importance through its massiveness, symmetry, balance, architectural detail and quality of construction. Built by Thomas Berry in 1839-40, this building is an example of county courthouses built in New Brunswick in the mid-19th century, reflecting a vernacular building tradition with Classical principles. It is an extremely well-preserved public building constructed of local pine set on a stone foundation, and is one of the most significant Neoclassical style buildings in Canada, illustrated by its strong four-column Tuscan portico and pediment on the long side of the 75 foot by 55 foot gabled block. The Court House’s spatial relationship adjacent to the Charlotte County Gaol is exemplified by its proximity and the discreet side door leading from the courtroom to the Gaol yard. The setting of the building, at the top of the sloped public square, with its formal frontal orientation towards the centre of the town, creates an imposing public image symbolic of its purpose and ideals.
Charlotte County Court House is also recognized as an historic courthouse and for its continued use as a courthouse for Charlotte County. In the early years of its history, the Court House was also the focal point for community activities such as elections, fairs, parades and official visits.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The character-defining elements that describe Charlotte County Court House include:
- symmetrical and ordered structure of five bays with a grand central double door;
- typical pitched gable roof;
- front portico comprised of an impressive triangular pediment supported by four large Tuscan wood columns;
- pine Tuscan pilasters at each building corner and under the front portico;
- random coursed, roughly squared rubble stone foundation walls made of red sandstone, featuring the date “1840” carved below the wooden skirt board on the Western façade;
- considerable fenestration throughout;
- detailed British Royal coat of arms carved in wood by Charles Kennedy in 1858, set within the front pediment’s tympanum.
The character-defining elements that describe the interior of the Charlotte County Court House include:
- distinctive spatial qualities of the lofty courtroom, nearly unchanged from its original arrangement, flanked on both the East and West sides by ancillary rooms;
- original painted wood courtroom furniture and original built in furniture still in use;
- painted wood railings throughout the courtroom supported by of a string of thick turned balusters;
- original window and door trim throughout the building, carved in a squared Greek Revival pattern;
- pair of brass pillar lights on the judge’s dias;
- set of brass weights and measures from 1854, used for years as official standards for commercial quantity.
From Historic Places Canada
Artist: Charles Kennedy
Address:
123A Frederick Street
St Andrews, NB
E5B 1Z1
Web URL to relevant information: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Logging requirements: Please upload your own personal photos of the building and a piece of art (minimum 1).
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