Description of Historic Place

Situated just beyond University Hall, Carnegie Hall is a large, two-storey, Neo-classical brick building that adds to the beauty and dignity of the Acadia University grounds in Wolfville, NS. The building’s elevated front façade overlooks a parkland setting that is dotted with several mature trees and paved walk-ways connecting to other campus buildings. Only the building is included in the designation.

Heritage Value

Carnegie Hall is valued for its architectural design and its role as the first science building at Acadia University. The construction of the hall in 1909 signified Acadia’s evolution from classical college to liberal university. While Acadia had provided science courses before that time, they were held on a make-shift basis in temporary classrooms in the arts building.

The hall was funded by the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Having established numerous libraries, schools, and universities across North America and worldwide, Carnegie offered Acadia $30,000 in 1906 towards the construction of a science building. With the construction of Carnegie Hall, Acadia recognized and met the special needs of the departments of physics, chemistry, geology and biology. Preparation rooms, laboratories, and classrooms were installed in the hall to facilitate these studies.

Carnegie Hall showcases several architectural features of modified Georgian style and its symmetry and proportions are typical of Neo-classical architecture. Other Neo-classical elements include vertical sliding sash windows, delicate mouldings, and an ornate predimented entrance with a Palladian window.

Presently, Carnegie Hall is home to Acadia’s School of Engineering and the School of Computer Science. The latter is housed in the hall’s modern extension that was built in 1982 and is attached to the back of the original structure.

Source: Town of Wolfville Heritage Property Files, Carnegie Hall file.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of Carnegie Hall include:

- brick and stone construction;
- low-pitch hip roof;
- dentil moulding along eaves;
- nine-bay symmetrical façade
- pedimented frontispiece with round window
- quoins on the edges of each wall;
- Palladian window and brackets;
- first-storey windows with shaped indentations and keystones;
- second-storey windows with stone voussoirs;
- keystones above cellar windows;
- grey-glazed terra cotta belt course, windowsills and ornamental work;
- grey granite sills and sandstone foundation.