Description of Historic Place

The Earl Block is a two-story, Italianate style building on a prominent corner in the downtown core. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Heritage Value

The Earl Block is significant as the only surviving example of the many Italianate style buildings that predominated at this downtown intersection by the late 19th century. Built in 1888 during the economic boom precipitated by the completion of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway and the expansion of the No. 1 Coal Mine, this highly detailed brick building speaks to the mood of prosperity and possibility prevalent at the time. It is an important tangible reminder of Nanaimo's economic heritage.

Visually prominent, the Earl Block is a key component of the downtown commercial streetscape and an integral part of a grouping of historic buildings.

Source: City of Nanaimo, Development Services Department, file #6800-20-H01-02/2-4 Church Street

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements of the Earl Block include:

-All the elements of the Italianate style including the vertical proportions, the highly detailed brick facade, the segmental arched openings with projecting heads and keystones, the brick pilasters with recessed insets and the original double-hung wooden windows.

-The location at a highly visible corner within a grouping of historic buildings.