Description of Historic Place
Guardhouse No. 14 is located on Point Frederick, the former site of a large naval base which is now part of the Royal Military College campus, in Kingston. It is a small, hipped roof structure constructed of stone, with classically inspired proportions and details. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
Guardhouse No. 14 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
Guardhouse No. 14 is closely associated with the city of Kingston’s important military role in Britain’s defense against the United States after the War of 1812. The building dates from the first permanent development of the Point Frederick dockyard, one of Britain’s largest naval bases in Canada, and was commemorated in 1973 as part of a national historic site of Canada.
Architectural Value
Guardhouse No. 14 is a very good example of a standard, military design type for sentry buildings. Both the French and British used these types of buildings from the mid-18th to the late-19th century to house and shelter men on sentry duty. The building is characterized by its hip-roof form, front portico and classically inspired scale and proportions. It is also of good functional design as evidenced in its solid construction and choice of materials. The very good craftsmanship of the building is demonstrated in the masonry work.
Environmental Value
Guardhouse No. 14 maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and reinforces the character of its military setting on the campus of the Royal Military College. The Guardhouse No. 14 is a familiar building in the area.
Sources: Martha Phemister, Gatehouse #3 and Guardhouse #No. 14, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report 89-137; Gatehouse No. 14, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 89-137.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of Guardhouse No. 14 should be respected.
The early 19th-century, standard, military design, good functional design and very good craftsmanship, for example:
-the classically inspired scale and proportion;
-the hipped roof which extends over the front façade to create an open portico;
-the solid, random-rubble stonework on the side elevations and the coursed rubble on the main façade;
-the interior features relating to the standard plan for sentry buildings.
The manner in which Guardhouse No. 14 maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, reinforces the character of its military campus setting and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by:
-its ongoing cohesive relationship to the surrounding open space, the adjacent gatehouse and stone wall;
-its small scale and specialized military design which complement a group of structures
dating to the years immediately after the War of 1812;
-its location at the entrance to the former naval base at Point Frederick Buildings National Historic Site of Canada, which make it visible and well-known.
