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List of oldest buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia

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This is a list of oldest buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada that were constructed before 1935.

1750-1799

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Place Address Coordinates Description Image Date
St. Paul's Anglican Church Grand Parade, 1749 Argyle Street Oldest building in Halifax (1750); Early Palladian church; second and oldest surviving Protestant church in Canada St. Paul's Anglican Church 1750
Little Dutch (Deutsch) Church 2393 Brunswick Street Second oldest building in Halifax – Oldest known surviving church in Canada associated with the German-Canadian community, 1756–60 Little Dutch (Deutsch) Church with tombstones in the foreground 1756
Sambro Island Light Sambro Island, off Highway 349, Sambro Oldest lighthouse in North America Sambro Island Light 1758
The Carleton 1685 Argyle Street Oldest commercial building in municipality; built as residence of colonial administrator Richard Bulkeley The Carleton 1760
Morris House (Halifax) 2500 Creighton Street Oldest wooden home in Halifax, moved from its original location at 1273 Hollis Street to avoid demolition. Morris House 1764
Scott Manor House 15 Fort Sackville Drive, Bedford Built on the land of Captain George Scott adjacent to Fort Sackville Scott Manor House 1770
Quaker Whaler House 57 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth Nantucket architecture Quaker Whaler house 1785
Privateer's Warehouse, Historic Properties 1869 Upper Water Street Commercial grouping reflecting Halifax's 19th century development Historic Properties Halifax 1790
The Bower (Halifax, Nova Scotia)[1] 5918 Rogers Drive Brenton Halliburton’s home. Two story house with a distinctive mansard roof The Bower (August 2019) 1790
York Redoubt 300 Fergusons Cove Rd, Fergusons Cove Major seaward defences of Halifax Harbour until World War II WWII observation posts on shoreline at York Redoubt 1793
Prince of Wales Tower Point Pleasant Park, 5530 Point Pleasant Drive Oldest Martello Tower in North America Prince of Whales Tower 1796
Alex McLean House 1328-1332 Hollis Street Georgian-style house, built by a prominent Halifax businessman 1328 Hollis St 1799

1800-1849

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Place Address Coordinates Description Image Date
St. George's Anglican Church / Round Church 2222 Brunswick Street
44°39′12″N 63°34′57″W / 44.65333°N 63.58250°W / 44.65333; -63.58250 (St. George's (Round) Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Unique Palladian style round church, 1800–12 St. George's Anglican Church 1800
Halifax Town Clock 1766 Brunswick Street
44°38′51″N 63°34′49″W / 44.64750°N 63.58028°W / 44.64750; -63.58028 (Fort George (Halifax Citadel))
Three storey, octagonal clock tower, atop clapboard podium of classic Palladian style; commissioned by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Town clock at the Halifax Citadel 1803
Prince's Lodge Rotunda Bedford Highway
44°41′26″N 63°39′34″W / 44.69056°N 63.65944°W / 44.69056; -63.65944 (Prince's Lodge, Nova Scotia)
Round summer house, commissioned by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince's Lodge Rotunda (Music Room) 1794
Government House 1451 Barrington Street Excellent early Palladian style vice-regal residence Government House seen from the gates 1805
Royal Artillery Park Officers' Mess 1575 Queen Street Oldest active military mess in Canada Royal Artillery Park Officers' Mess 1816
Akins House [2] 2151 Brunswick Street
44°39′12″N 63°34′55″W / 44.65333°N 63.58194°W / 44.65333; -63.58194 (Akins House)
A one-and-a-half-storey wood-shingled house originally built for Thomas Beamish Akins, surviving virtually in its original condition; one of the few remaining early 19th-century houses in Halifax and one of the oldest houses in the city Historic Akins Cottage, 2151 Brunswick Street 1815
Acacia Cottage 6080 South Street Built in 1816 on Coburg road across from the Waegwoltic Club, within a grove of acacia trees (hence the name). It was later moved up the hill in 1950 (facing demolition) to South street where it now remains.[3][4] 1816
Province House 1726 Hollis Street Oldest legislative seat in Canada and site of the country's first responsible government Province House 1819
Admiralty House[5] 2725 Gottingen Street
44°39′34″N 63°35′34″W / 44.65944°N 63.59278°W / 44.65944; -63.59278 (Admiralty House)
An austere two-storey stone mansion set within the Stadacona site of CFB Halifax which served as the home of Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy’s North American station from 1819 until 1904 1819
Black-Binney House[6] 1472 Hollis Street
44°38′38″N 63°34′17″W / 44.64389°N 63.57139°W / 44.64389; -63.57139 (Black-Binney House)
A house reflective of the Palladian-inspired residences common during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Eastern Canada; notable residents include John Black, James Boyle Uniacke and Hibbert Binney Front facade of Black-Binney House 1819
St. Mary's Basilica, Halifax 1531 Spring Garden Road Central role in the religious history of Nova Scotia. St. Mary's Basilica 1820–29
Henry House 1222 Barrington Street Common 19th century urban type in local ironstone; residence of Father of Confederation, William A. Henry Henry House 1834
St. George's Anglican Church Rectory (Trinity House) 5435 Cornwallis Street
44°39′10″N 63°34′59″W / 44.65278°N 63.58306°W / 44.65278; -63.58306 (St. George's Rectory (Trinity House))
The rectory was built 1838—1840 for the Rev'd Robert F. Uniacke. The truncated pitched roof and central dormer were typical features of late Georgian houses in Halifax. Rectory of St. George's Round Church 1838

1850-1899

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Place Address Coordinates Description Image Date
Halifax Citadel 5425 Sackville Street
44°38′51″N 63°34′49″W / 44.64750°N 63.58028°W / 44.64750; -63.58028 (Fort George (Halifax Citadel))
Restored British masonry fort, constructed between 1828 and 1856. Town clock at the Halifax Citadel 1856 (completed)
Jonathan McCully House 2507 Brunswick Street Italianate urban residence of politician and Father of Confederation, Jonathan McCully Jonathan McCully House 1857
Halifax Provincial Court 5250 Spring Garden Road Italianate court house. Front facade of the Halifax Court House 1858
Cast Iron Façade / Coomb's Old English Shoe Store [7] 1883-1885 Granville Street
44°38′59″N 63°34′29″W / 44.64972°N 63.57472°W / 44.64972; -63.57472 (Cast Iron Façade / Coomb's Old English Shoe Store)
A mid-19th-century commercial building with a cast-iron facade; one of the first cast-iron-front structures in Canada and the only building in Halifax known to have a facade composed entirely of cast iron 1883 Granville St 1860
Sandford Fleming House 2549 - 2553 Brunswick Street 44°39′28″N 63°35′19″W / 44.657811°N 63.588725°W / 44.657811; -63.588725 One-and-a-half Gothic Revival style house, named after the prominent Scottish-Canadian engineer Sir Sanford Fleming who resided in the house from 1866 to 1873. Sir Sanford Fleming House, Brunswick St., Halifax, Nova Scotia 1860
Welsford-Parker Monument 1541 Barrington Street Sandstone triumphal arch; only Crimean War monument in North America; frames entry to Old Burying Ground, Halifax's oldest cemetery (1750) Welsford-Parker Monument at the entrance to the Old Burying Ground in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1860
Fernwood [8] 6039 Fernwood Lane
44°37′37″N 63°34′55″W / 44.62694°N 63.58194°W / 44.62694; -63.58194 (Fernwood)
A house on a large landscaped property; a noted example of a Gothic Revival villa in Canada Fernwood 1860
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia 1723 Hollis Street Built to house Nova Scotia's pre-Confederation Post Office, Customs House and Railway Department. Art Gallery 1869 (completed)
Fort Charlotte Halifax Harbour Fort Charlotte, together with associated caponiers and outbuildings, form part of original Halifax Defence Complex; access to Georges Island is restricted Fort Charlotte 1869 (completed)
Halifax Public Gardens bandstand Spring Garden Road at South Park Street Henry Busch-designed bandstand centres extensive Victorian-era public gardens, established 1867 Band Shell Halifax Public Gardens 1874-1879
Robertson's Hardware & Warehouse 1675 Lower Water Street Victorian-style brick commercial complex built in three sections; housed hardware and ship’s chandlery; part of Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Robertson's Hardware & Warehouse store front, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic 1860-1880
Queen Street fire house 1252 Queen Street Oldest fire station building remaining in Halifax; now a private residence 1252 Queen St 1877
Halifax Academy 1649 Brunswick Street Two-and-a-half storey structure built as all-male high school; excellent example of Second Empire style. It was designed by Henry Busch, a proponent of the style, and prominent Halifax architect. Andrew Cobb designed an extension in 1917. Downtown Halifax (3109962863) 1878
Sir Sandford Fleming Cottage Sir Sandford Fleming Park, 3 Dingle Road Rustic, one-and-a-half storey, late nineteenth-century wood framed dwelling. Summer residence and the place of death of Sandford Fleming Sir Sandford Fleming Cottage, Fleming Park, Halifax 1886
Cambridge Military Library Royal Artillery Park, 1575 Queen Street Built to house garrison library collection; oldest library collection in Atlantic Canada Cambridge Military Library 1886
Halifax City Hall 1841 Argyle Street Civic symbol on Grand Parade; second Empire style; built of red and cream sandstone with granite construction on ground floor and seven-storey tower Front facade of the Halifax City Hall 1887
Khyber Building (originally Church of England Institute Building) 1588 Barrington Street Victorian-Gothic building designed by Henry Busch, as overseen by Bishop Hibbert Binning. Name "Khyber" began to be used in the 1970s after the Khyber Cafe that ran on the 1st floor. This building has been utilized for social activities since its construction when it housed a gym, library, lecture hall, and billiards. Khyber Club Halifax 1888
St. George's Parish Hall 2221 Maitland Street, Halifax Built in 1889, and extended in 1910 St. George's Church Hall, northeast view from Maitland Street. 1889 (original structure); 1910 (annex)
Fort McNab[9] Halifax Harbour
44°36′0″N 63°31′0″W / 44.60000°N 63.51667°W / 44.60000; -63.51667 (Fort McNab)
The remnants of defensive works constructed to defend Halifax when it was one of the principal naval stations of the British Empire; reflective of significant changes in defence technology in the late 19th century Ruins of Fort McNab 1892 (completed)
G.M. Smith Building 1715-1719 Barrington Street Four-storey, stone Art Nouveau building to house GM Smith dry goods store. Building restored after deadly fire killed 10 in Kay's Department Store in November, 1950. G.M. Smith Building 1893
Halifax Armoury 2667 North Park Street Large, urban, Romanesque Revival drill hall for the active militia, 1895–99 Detail of the Cornwallis Street facade, Halifax Armoury 1899

1900-1935

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Place Address Coordinates Description Image Date
Acadian Recorder Building 1724 Granville Street Three-storey building of brick, stone and cast iron; eclectic architectural style; final home of one of the province's oldest weekly newspapers (1813-1930) 1900
French Village Railway Station 5401 St Margarets Bay Rd, Upper Tantallon Built by Halifax and South Western Railway; now houses a cafe 1901
Power House 1606 Bell Road Rare brick-built home in Queen Anne Revival and Neoclassical styles; housed superintendent of Halifax Public Gardens 1606 Bell St 1903
Churchfield Barracks 2046 - 2068 Brunswick Street 12-unit row house in Gothic style built by British Army 2046 Brunswick St 1903
Shaw Building 1855-1859 Hollis Street Early 20th-Century Classical-style building; facade only remains 1855 Hollis St 1903
Fire Station 4 1680 Bedford Row Chicago style fire house with ornamentation, pilasters and Romanesque arches that served originally as equipment doors. Now houses McKelvie's restaurant. 1679 Bedford Row 1906
Halifax Bengal Lancers stables 1690 Bell Road Concrete two-storey main building with stables, paddock, and riding rings 1690 Bell St 1908
Cathedral Church of All Saints 1330 Martello Street Largest Anglican Cathedral in Canada. Perpendicular NeoGothic Structure, Ralf Adams Cram Architect 1910
Chebucto School 6199 Chebucto Road 20th century Neoclassical style brick schoolhouse; pressed into service as clinic and morgue following Halifax Explosion of 1917 6199 Chebucto Rd 1910
W.M. Brown Building 1549-51 Barrington Street Victorian-style, three-storey commercial structure 1910-11
Pacific Building 1537 Barrington Street Built in Neoclassical style to house YMCA; later offices of Canadian Pacific Railway 1911
Memorial Tower (The Dingle) Sir Sandford Fleming Park, Armdale Building led by Sir Sandford Fleming to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia 1912
Tramway Building 5212 Sackville Street Five-storey Neo-Gothic style building housed offices of the Halifax Electric Tramway Company 5212 Sackville St 1916
Hydrostone District Bordered by Novalea Drive, Duffus, Young, and Isleville Streets Public housing in Garden Suburb style; part of reconstruction of city's North End following Halifax Explosion of 1917 Shops and streetscape in Halifax's Hydrostone district 1917-20
Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Station 7895 Highway 7, Musquodoboit Harbour Built by Canadian National Railway; excellent example of 20th-century railway station design; now a museum MusquodoboitRailwayMuseum2 1918
Halifax Relief Commission Building 5555 Young Street 2.5-storey Tudor style building housed agency providing relief to victims of 1917 Halifax Explosion 5555 Young St 1920
Halifax Forum 2901 Windsor Street Sports arena featured first artificial ice surface east of Montreal 2901 Windsor St 1927
Pier 21 1055 Marginal Road Highly specialized building type related to early 20th-century Canadian immigration and post war immigration Front facade of Pier 21 1928
Halifax Station and hotel complex 1161 Hollis Street 44°38′23″N 63°34′09″W / 44.6398°N 63.569113°W / 44.6398; -63.569113 Beaux-Art sandstone head house built by Canadian National Railway with adjoining hotel; Bush-style train shed was demolished before 1990. Gare de Halifax, août 2016 01 1928
The Bank of Nova Scotia Building 1709 Hollis Street Built as bank's main branch; one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Canada Bank of Nova Scotia building – Halifax, NS – (2018-08-27) 1931
Dominion Public Building 1713 Bedford Row At 13-stories, Art Deco structure was highest in the city prior to 1960; built as Depression-era relief project Dominion Public Building, Halifax 1935

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca".
  2. ^ Akins House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  3. ^ "The Outside In of 6080 - Spacing Atlantic". Spacing Atlantic. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  4. ^ "Halifax Urban Greenway: Natural History Introduction". halifaxurbangreenway.org. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  5. ^ Admiralty House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  6. ^ Black-Binney House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  7. ^ Cast Iron Façade / Coomb's Old English Shoe Store. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  8. ^ Fernwood. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  9. ^ Fort McNab. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2 February 2013.