Description of Historic Place

The Fishwick & Company Building is a three storey stuccoed wood framed Georgian commercial building in Downtown Halifax, NS, near the Historic Properties at the Halifax Harbour Waterfront. It is situated between the brick Shaw Building and the stuccoed Harrington MacDonald-Briggs Building on the east side of Hollis Street between Duke Street and the Cogswell Interchange Ramp. The heritage designation applies to the building and land it occupies.

Heritage Value

The Fishwick & Company Building is valued for its age and historical association with the commercial activities of Downtown Halifax. It is one of the oldest commercial buildings in the area, built in 1820, and shares the block with other registered heritage buildings from the same period and style. These buildings include the Shaw and Harrington MacDonald-Briggs Buildings on the Hollis Street side, as well as, the Imperial Oil Building on the Upper Water Street side across from the Historic Properties on the Halifax Waterfront. This building is associated with F. W. Fishwick and Company, a freight express business that flourished in the latter part of the 1800s, in part no doubt to its proximity to the ice free Halifax Harbour. A local eatery now uses the first floor of the building and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design utilizes the top two floors.

Architecturally, Fishwick & Company Building is valued as an example of the Georgian style. Its simplicity and size is its charm in comparison to the larger structures found on the block. The Fishwick & Company Building is an attractive three storey, stuccoed wood framed building with low gabled roof. The wooden storefront has been altered from its original layout, but does not reduce the character of the building.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File: 1861 Hollis Street Fishwick & Company found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program,6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Fishwick & Company Building relate to its Georgian architecture and commercial use and include:

- stuccoed wood frame;
- low gabled roof;
- plain cornice;
- six-over-six windows with moulded wooden surrounds;
- wooden storefront.