Description of Historic Place

Capitol Building, formerly the Graham Opera House, is a rectangular red brick building in the Italianate style featuring a hipped roof that is a prominent feature of downtown Woodstock’s skyline. The main part of the building is three storeys and the annex, a later addition, is two storeys.

Heritage Value

Capitol building is designated a Local Historic Place for its historical, cultural, and social value as the former Graham Opera House, as well as for its architecture.

Constructed in 1885, Graham Opera House was the social and cultural centre of the town, hosting travelling performers, vaudeville acts, as well as local talent. It also served as hall for dance and music lessons, as well as public lectures, political meetings, and various clubs. In 1907, the opulent Hayden Gibson Theatre opened in Woodstock and the popularity of the Graham Opera House diminished. The building was converted by the Bijou Amusement Company to a moving picture house. In 1922, the building, then the Vogue Theatre, was enlarged, renovated and redesigned by architect Neil F. Brodie. The theatre spent its final years as a movie house as the Capitol Theatre, which closed in the mid 1980s. Since that time, the building has housed retail businesses, dining establishments and office space.

Capitol building is also recognized for its architecture and for being a prominent feature of Woodstock’s downtown area. As the tallest heritage building in the town, its hipped roof is easily seen above the other rooflines when entering the town square via the Meduxnekeag Bridge. The roof, the brickwork and fenestration are among the details that make this building a good example of commercial Italianate architecture from the late 19th century in Woodstock.

Source: Carleton County Historical Society Historic Places Files, “Capitol Building”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the location of Capitol Building include:
- location on Queen Street in Woodstock’s downtown.

The character-defining elements that describe the Italianate architecture of Capitol Building include:
- rectangular three-storey massing of the original portion;
- rectangular two-storey massing 1922 addition;
- red brick exterior in common bond with ornamental patterning, including the ‘cross’ pattern common in Woodstock’s downtown and decoration above all windows;
- prominent hipped roof;
- symmetrical fenestration of rectangular windows with arched window headers;
- sandstone window ledges;
- brick pilasters.