The only brick building to be found on Main Street, possibly the entire town, the post office, under the name of the
Government of Canada Building, became a Federal Heritage Building on July 23, 1998. Built in 1930, it has remained the post office since. A description of the building is below, from Historic Places Canada.
Eight or nine kilometres inland, Sherbrooke lies between Sherbrooke Lake and St. Mary's River. In the late 1800s Sherbrooke became a gold rush town, along with others in the area, with the discovery of gold at several different sites. Today Sherbrooke is the home of
Sherbrooke Village, an outdoor museum comprised of approximately 30 buildings including a working blacksmith shop, a pottery shop, a water powered lumber mill (located off site), a tea room & restaurant, and several animal barns. Open seven days a week from June 1st – September 26, it is a major source of income for the town and a major employer, as well.
Government of Canada Building
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke is a brick building with a mansard roof, which includes gabled dormers on all façades. A central, gabled projecting frontispiece defines the main entrance. The building sits on a simple landscape enclosed with pipe railing fencing and a set of steps leading to the street level. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
The Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke is associated with the growth of government services into rural communities in the 1930s and with the development of the town of Sherbrooke.
Architectural Value
The Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke is a good example of a federal public building of the early 20th century. The building’s symmetrical design, modestly detailed brickwork and carved datestone is typical of these early public structures and exhibits good craftsmanship.
Environmental Value
The Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke reinforces the present character of its mixed commercial and residential streetscape setting and is a familiar building in its neighbourhood.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Its aesthetic, good craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- its two-storey, L-shaped massing and mansard roof profile with symmetrically balanced gabled dormers on all façades;
- its gabled projecting frontispiece centred on the main façade;
- the regular arrangement of one-over-one wood sash windows;
- its modestly detailed brickwork using corbelling at the gable on the frontispiece, the concrete foundation, the stone window sills and the carved datestone;
- its roofing materials, which include shingles, metal flashings and painted wood fascias with crown-moulding and wood soffits;
- its surviving interior finishes such as plaster ceilings with moulded coves, and wood trim around the windows and door.
The manner in which the Government of Canada Building in Sherbrooke reinforces the character of its mixed, commercial and residential streetscape setting and is familiar within the area, as evidenced by:
- its modest scale and construction materials, which harmonize with the adjacent residential and commercial structures on the street;
- its distinctive design, which reinforces its federal government identity;
- its ongoing use as a post office, which makes it a community landmark.
From Historic Places Canada