Description of Historic Place

The Office Building is set amongst a group of buildings located on St. Mary’s Island, which is bisected by the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. The sturdy, two-storey Second Empire style building has a mansard roof, a central pavilion, and regularly placed windows with stone surrounds. The main entrance has a decorative stone door surround and is accessed by a stone stairway. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Office Building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Office Building is a good example of a building associated with the construction, commencing in 1889, and the operation of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal, and illustrates the theme of the development of Canada’s transportation network during the later 19th century. The first ship passed through the locks at the Sault in September 1895, and most of the canal buildings were completed by 1896. The complex of buildings illustrates the crucial years when Sault Ste. Marie was transformed from a small community into a modern industrial centre.

Architectural Value
Valued for its very good aesthetics, the Office Building is a late example of the Second Empire Style and has the mansard roof and central pavilion typical of that style. The handsome red sandstone construction and the sturdy appearance of the Office Building ensure that it still plays a prominent role within the complex of buildings associated with the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. Good functional design is displayed in the interior configuration. Very good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the exterior masonry.

Environmental Value
The Office Building maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, reinforces the historic character of its canal side setting at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada, and is a familiar local landmark.

Sources: Sally Coutts, Sault Ste. Marie Canal Buildings, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report 85-007; Canal Buildings: Office Building, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 85-007.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Office Building should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic, good functional design and very good quality craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- the two-storey massing and the mansard roof with chimneys;
- the sandstone exterior walls laid in random courses;
- the placement of the windows and doors;
- the central pavilion with formal stone entrance;
- the limestone quoins and window and door surrounds;
- the interior configuration.

The manner in which the Office Building reinforces the historic character of its canal-side setting at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada and is a familiar local landmark, as evidenced by:
- its location on a simple, open site overlooking the canal;
- its overall scale, design and materials, which harmonize with the other buildings in the lock complex and its canal surroundings;
- its visibility, due to its prominent location adjacent to the canal that is used for recreational purposes, which makes it a local landmark.