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 Granville Mall Streetscape - Halifax, NS Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 38.983 W 063° 34.475
20T E 454438 N 4944200
One of the most harmonious city blocks in the country in terms of design, the Granville Mall Streetscape came into being almost overnight.
Waymark Code: WMZJC4
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 11/18/2018
Views: 1
In the U.S. this would be termed an Historic District - in Halifax it's simply a "Streetscape". But what a streetscape it is - it contains no less than 17 four story buildings, all Italianate in design and essentially all, if not all, designed by architect William Thomas. The entire block was built between 1859 and 1863.
Notwithstanding the above, heritage plaques, as well as other sources, give wildly different dates of construction for the buildings in this block. For example, the Halifax Heritage Properties List gives dates from 1860 to 1875, while plaques on the building contain dates in the 1869 to 1875 range. I consider the Dictionary of Architects in Canada page for William Thomas to be the closest to correct.
The way was made for the rebuilding of much of downtown Halifax by three major fires between 1857 and 1861 - on New Year's Eve, 1857, September 9, 1859, and January 12, 1861. The September 9, 1859 fire levelled the entire north block of Granville Street, enabling the reconstruction of the entire block simultaneously. As a result a single architect, William Thomas, designed the entire block to be harmonious in design, choosing the Italianate style for the block, freestone and cast iron being prominent throughout. Following the New Year's Eve, 1857 fire new legislation was passed prohibiting large wooden buildings within the developed part of Halifax.
...the Granville Street fire, which wiped out the north block of the street in September 1859, induced the Thomas firm to open a Halifax office. It was first advertised in October 1859 while Thomas was busy preparing unified designs for seven proprietors rebuilding the centre of the city's prosperous dry goods trade. Thomas's individual building designs, unified by massing, height, detailing and materials, created a distinctive streetscape which reflected contemporary mercantile confidence. The cast iron storefronts which Thomas introduced along most of the Granville Street block had not only the well-recognized advantages inherent in the material but also the prestige of manufacture by the leading New York producer of architectural cast iron, Daniel Badger. The buildings popularized the Italianate detailing and forms which would soon dominate prime Halifax building of every type. The Thomas office remained open until 1863 when, with Granville Street rebuilt and a subsequent design for the rebuilding of the Union Bank completed, C.P. Thomas, the resident Thomas partner, left Halifax for Montreal.
From St. Mary's University
Granville Mall Streetscape
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Granville Mall Streetscape features seventeen four storey Italianate stone buildings that exemplify the 1870s commercial prominence of Halifax. This pedestrian mall includes the buildings on both sides of one block Granville Street between Duke Street and the Cogswell Interchange Ramp located in Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia near the Halifax Harbour. The heritage designation applies only to the buildings and the land they occupy and does not include the pedestrian space in the centre of the mall.
HERITAGE VALUE
Granville Mall Streetscape is valued for its association with the commercial history of Halifax. Originally designed for the pedestrian and horse and cart traffic, Granville Mall Streetscape has regained its quaintness through its removal of modern automobile access. This section of Granville Street was at the heart of the nineteenth and early twentieth century economic activity. Some of the enterprises included drygood stores that dealt in fabrics, clothing, and accessories. The close proximity to the Halifax Harbour also played importance to the bustling trade business on the street. Presently it remains a focus of economic and educational enterprises, housing much of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, pubs and shops.
Architecturally, Granville Mall Streetscape is a unique landmark valued as an example of seventeen Italianate style buildings that combine elements of other styles. Architect William Thomas oversaw the design of the buildings on this street. His firm was one of the largest architectural firms in Canada in the 1850s. Each building within the block is unique in design, however the overall look of the street is quite cohesive. The Mall encompasses common roof lines, building materials, floor heights, and a symmetrical horizontal design. Each building commands its own attention and complements its adjoining or opposite structure. The building height and the width of the street allow for a human element to flourish, sun to penetrate the street, and the ability to see the skyline. The buildings offer a vast array of windows, decorative stonework, and variations in columns and cornices.
From Historic Places Canada
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East Side of Granville - 1871
Cast Iron Façade is 6th from the right |
URL of Page from Heritage Register: [Web Link]
Address of site:
1854 - 1895 Granville Street, Halifax
Halifax, NS
B3J 1Y1
Site's Own URL: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
To log a visit for this category please include a photo of the property taken by you. Tell us what you like about the site and make an observation on some aspect of the visit - history, a detail of the building, the neighbourhood, etc.
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