Description of Historic Place

The Brantford Waterworks Building, located at 324 Grand River Avenue, is situated on the south side of the street, west of Morrell Street, in the City of Brantford. This one-storey buff-brick building was designed with Romanesque features and was constructed in 1889.

It was designated for its heritage value by the City of Brantford under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, (By-law 194-94).

Heritage Value

The Brantford Waterworks Building is one of several structures on the site of the Public Utilities Commission's Water Treatment Plant, in Brantford. In 1888, a Board of Commissioners was created to establish a Waterworks System, for Brantford. This building was built in 1889 and by 1890 it provided residential water services for the residents of Brantford. It was in this building that a major contribution to Canadian public health took place. The Public Utilities Commission of the City of Brantford was the first in Canada to add fluoride to the drinking water, in 1945, as a means of improving the dental health of the community.

The Brantford Waterworks Building has a slate covered, hip roof, which displays decorative, exposed wooden rafters. The building was constructed with buff-brick, laid in a bond pattern, used to form a panel and pilaster design. The most prominent features of the front facade are the large arched windows, with original multi-light transoms. Each window has twenty glass panes, with a central pivot window. Decorative brick voussoirs and a continuous concrete sill accent each window. Above the central entranceway is a gable with raised lettering which reads, “Brantford Waterworks”.

Source: City of Brantford By-Law 194-94.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Brantford Waterworks Building include its:
- medium hip, slate roof with centre gable
- decorative exposed wooden rafters
- panel and pilaster brick pattern
- large arched window openings with brick voussoirs and concrete sills
- original multi-light transoms over the windows to the right of the front facade
- stone name plate with “Brantford Waterworks” in raised letters