The 1906 fire covered more than eight city blocks, comprising about 155 houses, churches and commercial buildings which were destroyed as a result of the fire which started at 9:50 on the evening of October 11, 1906. As the fire raged northward it was stopped in its tracks by the large brick courthouse, sparing the wooden buildings to its north. This is not to say that the courthouse itself did not sustain damage. It did begin to burn, though much more slowly that would a completely wood building. At one o'clock the next afternoon the Courthouse and Jail was still burning. After the fire the building was rebuilt, repairing the substantial damage it had suffered.
Built in 1873, the Italianate structure was designed by architect John Corbett. The three storey brick and stone building initially included both courthouse and jail. While the jail was moved out many years ago, in 1976 the Prince County Correctional Centre, an 18 bed facility for adult male offenders, now occupies the building's basement.
Built as a two story structure, a 1938 expansion included the addition of a third story. As of 2018 the courthouse has served Prince County for nearly 145 years, a pretty long tenure. Originally having a mansard roof, the building still bears many Italianate features in its symmetrical front façade, the paired semi-circular headed windows, the curved arch over the entrance and sandstone corner quoins.
The courthouse has received both provincial and municipal heritage recognition with dual entries in the historic register. The following is from the provincial entry.
Summerside Law Courts
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Prince County Court House dominates the intersection of Central and Notre Dame Streets in Summerside, PEI. This Italianate building with some modernization is built of brick with freestone accents and continues to serve its original purpose. The designation includes the building and its surrounding property.
HERITAGE VALUE
The heritage value of the Summerside Courthouse emerges from its brick Italianate architectural style which was constructed in 1873, the same year PEI joined the Canadian confederation as the seventh province of the Dominion. Another aspect of its heritage value is its location as a prominent government building in Summerside. When it was built here, it heralded the replacement of nearby St. Eleanor's by Summerside as the county seat of Prince County. The site of this building was donated by Joseph Green, the son of a Loyalist pioneer in the area. It was part of a green space or parkland that Green had given to the new town. The courthouse was designed to include both judicial chambers and a jail all within the same building - much to the chagrin of some of the residents of the area who did not want "an unsightly prison" in their backyard.
The building was designed by John Corbett and built by Thomas Beattie, who also built the Indian Head lighthouse at the entrance to Summerside's harbour, the only other example of Beattie's work to survive.
The new court was presided over by William Henry Pope, who became its first judge and also was a Father of Confederation.
The building was rebuilt after being ravaged by fire in 1906. It actually had helped preserve all the wooden buildings north of it by forming a shield against the flames. As such it stands as a symbol of survival and renewal for the City of Summerside and a link to its past. The original building was later renovated with the addition of a third storey in the 1930s. Most recently, it was made more publicly accessible in all respects. It still serves as a courthouse.
From Historic Places Canada