Description of Historic Place

The Arcola Court House on Souris Avenue is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Town of Arcola. The property features a two-and-a-half-storey brick-faced building situated on a large lot.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Arcola Court House on Souris Avenue resides in its architecture. Constructed in 1908-9, this court house exhibits the subdued Edwardian Classical influence common to provincial buildings designed by the Regina-based architectural firm of Storey and Van Egmond. Faced with brick, Classical influence is apparent in the symmetrical arrangement of the windows and a projecting entranceway that is flanked by columns and surmounted by the provincial crest. This court house is a simplified version of the more elaborate district court house constructed in Battleford around 1907, also designed by Storey and Van Egmond.

The Arcola Court House on Souris Avenue is also valued for its connection with Saskatchewan’s early court system. This is one of the earliest buildings in the network of court houses built before 1930 in each judicial district in Saskatchewan. The optimism that pervaded Saskatchewan’s first decade inspired the construction of large and relatively ornate provincial buildings. Believing that Arcola would quickly grow into a large centre, this court house is similar in size to those constructed in Saskatoon and Battleford within a few years of this one. Since the court stopped sitting here, the building has housed several businesses. As one of the oldest buildings in Arcola, the court house stands as a landmark in the community.

Source:

Town of Arcola Bylaw No. 3/86.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Arcola Court House on Souris Avenue resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements reflecting the building’s Edwardian Classical architecture, such as the roof profile of the dormers, cornice, entrance archway, widow design and arrangement;
-those elements which express its status as a provincial building, such as its scale and massing, the use of brick, the provincial crest carved from Tydall Stone and the “court house” signage above the main entrance;
-the building’s orientation on its original site surrounded by green space.