Heritage Register - Nanaimo Court House

Building Details
Name:	Nanaimo Court House
Address:	31 - 35 Front Street
Architectural Style:	Romanesque
Building Use:	Institutional
Year of Construction:	1895
Builder or Architect:	Francis Mawson Rattenbury, Architect
Protected Heritage Property:	Yes

Heritage Value Statement

Grand and imposing in its rugged monumentality, this structure serves as the symbol of justice in Nanaimo. Around the turn of the century, the rapidly expanding population had necessitated a reorganization of the provincial court system, and a number of new regional court houses were constructed.

Built from 1895 to 1896, the Nanaimo Court House is a very striking and superior example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, which was favoured for major public buildings of this period. The building features the rough-dressed masonry and prominent round arched openings typical of this style. The picturesque roofline is highlighted with a slate covering and intricate copper ornamentation. A plain 1957 addition at the rear of the building does not actively infringe on the original building’s character. This exceptional building marks the height of the architectural grandeur of the Late Victorian era.

The Nanaimo Court House is significant because of its association with Francis Mawson Rattenbury, British Columbia’s premier institutional architect of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rattenbury also designed the Nanaimo and Nelson Court Houses, the provincial Parliament Buildings and numerous other residential and institutional buildings. This building, and the Nelson Court House, represented a continuation of Rattenbury’s interest in the picturesque eclecticism of the Late Victorian era.

The Courthouse’s location on a major street facing the waterfront and its height and substantial mass also make it a very prominent landmark.

The Nanaimo Court House is the premier symbol of early provincial government presence in Nanaimo. Replacing an earlier wooden Court House, this expensive and sophisticated building projected provincial authority and power and, at the same time, signaled Nanaimo’s nascent function as a regional centre.

The Nanaimo Court House is also significant because of its siting on the lot. The mid-block location was an unusual choice, as most courthouses were given a prominent corner location. To increase the formality of the design and the presence of the building, the building is set to the rear of the sloping site. This position allowed for a gracious landscaped plaza at the front.

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