Enderby Drill Hall
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Enderby Drill Hall is a two-storey brick building located at the south end of Enderby on the southwest corner of George Street (Highway 97A) and 2nd Avenue. The historic place includes the entirety of the building and the surrounding property.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Enderby Drill Hall is valued as a landmark in Enderby for its architecture, its rarity as a surviving building built in preparation for the First World War, and for its continuing community use.
The Enderby Drill Hall was built with locally-produced Enderby bricks in 1914 by the Dominion Government, on lands donated by Fred Barnes, in preparation for the First World War. The building was military in nature but was also used for community events. The Dominion Government specified the design and size of the building. There were many similar buildings constructed in western Canada, but this is one of the last intact still in its original location. The building was used during both World War I and World War II. After World War II, the federal government sold the building to the City of Enderby, and it has since operated as a community hall for dances, art shows, theatre, and recreational classes.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Key elements that define the heritage character of Enderby Drill Hall include:
- 19th Century design with imposing facade on the gable ends
- Construction materials including locally-produced Enderby bricks
- High ceilings
- Gun range in the basement and officers' mess upstairs
- Large size and massing as one of the largest buildings in Enderby
- Continuing use as a community space
From Historic Places Canada