Description of Historic Place

The Wolseley Court House is a Provincial Heritage Property located on a landscaped block of land at the corner of Ouimet and Richmond Street within the Town of Wolseley. It is a one-storey brick building with a fieldstone foundation built between 1893 and 1895.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Wolseley Court House lies in its status as the oldest surviving court house in Saskatchewan. Built between 1893 and 1895, the building is the only remaining court house from the Territorial period of Saskatchewan history. The choice of Wolseley for the new Judicial District reflects the importance of the town during the early settlement period. The building ceased operation as a court house in 1909, but continued to serve as a public building in the community for many years.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its architecture. The building was designed under the direction of Thomas Fuller, Chief Dominion Architect and constructed by local notables R. A. Magee and E.A. Banbury. Built of brick and fieldstone the building exhibits a Georgian influence in its simple symmetrical layout, hip roof and the arrangement of its windows. In the early 1980’s, the porch, cupola and sheet metal roof were restored to reflect its original function as a court house.

Situated on a well landscaped plot of land, the Wolseley Court House is also valued for its grounds. The landscaping reflects the property’s prestigious nature as it is set back from the roadway and overlooks the town lake. The prestige of the property is further enhanced through its connection with the town’s commercial district via a pedestrian swing bridge.

Source:

Province of Saskatchewan, Notice of Intention to Designate as Provincial Heritage Property under the Heritage Property Act, August 18, 1982.

Province of Saskatchewan, Order to Designate as Provincial Heritage Property under the Heritage Property Act, November 24, 1982.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Wolseley Court House resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those exterior elements that speak to the building’s use as a court house, such as the brick façade, the flag pole, the sheet metal roof, the wood-frame porch and cupola;
-those original elements of the interior that reflect the building’s use as a courthouse, such as the basement jail cells and wood mouldings;
-those elements that reflect the prestigious nature of the property, such as the surrounding landscape and its position on the lake at the entrance of the swing bridge.