Rossland Courthouse 1914 - Rossland, BC - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

The view is from just above the courthouse on Columbia Avenue, looking north past the courthouse to the drill hall above, from the corner of Monte Cristo Street and Columbia Avenue. The building has been in continuous use as the provincial courthouse since its completion 112 years ago and is still in excellent condition. Its striking appearance and its location just outside downtown proper makes it unmistakeable among the large collection of heritage buildings in the town.

The Rossland Court House was designated a national historic site in 1980 because it is highly representative of a distinctive regional form of Canadian court house that emerged in British Columbia during the late 19th century.

The province’s early law makers strove to emphasize the English origins of the province’s legal system in newly-settled regions in the wake of large waves of American miners and fortune seekers. In important mining centres such as Rossland, this intent was reflected in the design of a court house which served as a visual symbol of the Crown’s authority. Wood-beamed ceilings, wood panelled walls and stained glass windows cast a solemn atmosphere over court proceedings, while court house exteriors were intended to convey a distinctly British character. Designed by Glasgow native J.J. Honeyman, Rossland’s court house epitomizes this approach to court house design through its well-preserved exterior and interior.
From the National Register