Halifax Armoury
Halifax Armoury | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Drill Hall / armoury |
Architectural style | Romanesque Revival Style |
Location | Halifax Nova Scotia Canada |
Address | 2667 North Park Street |
Current tenants | 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, 33 (Halifax) Field Ambulance |
Construction started | 1895 |
Completed | 1899 |
Owner | Canadian Forces |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Thomas Fuller, Chief Dominion Architect |
Official name | Halifax Drill Hall National Historic Site of Canada |
Designated | 1989 |
In the Canadian Forces, an armoury is a place where a reserve unit trains, meets, and parades. The armoury is currently the home base of 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, and several other reserve units. The building remains an active military structure.
Architecture
The armoury was designed in 1895 by Chief Dominion Architect Thomas Fuller, and was opened the next year and work on the structure was completed in 1899. While the exterior is based on a medieval castle, it was actually one of the most advanced structures of its day. It was pioneering in its use of a series of Fink trusses to create a large interior space with no columns or walls, and is today the oldest surviving example of a such a building. It was also one of the first buildings in Halifax to be lit by electricity.
The Halifax Armoury is a prominent and historic structure in central Halifax Nova Scotia.
History
It has played an important part in many Canadian wars, being an important transit point for soldiers before departing by ship for the Boer War and both World Wars. After the Halifax Explosion the armoury provided shelter for many who had lost their homes.
The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989.[1] In 1991, it was listed as a Classified Federal Heritage Building.[2]
See also
- List of oldest buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
- List of Armouries in Canada
- Military history of Nova Scotia
References
- ^ Halifax Armoury. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ Halifax Armoury. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 9 February 2012.