Description of Historic Place

285 St. George Street, commonly known as the Annapolis Royal Town Hall, is of brick construction in the Classic Revival style and is located on the northeast section of land beside Fort Anne, a well known landmark. A long rectangular, two and a half storey building with medium pitched gable roof and one storey extensions on both sides, it faces St. George Street commercial district of the town. A distinctive feature is the square tower on the south side extending well above the roof line with pointed bell cast roof and small dormers set in each of the four sides. The general setting is dramatic with Fort Anne and a view of the Annapolis Basin to the rear. The building continues to serve as the town hall for Annapolis Royal, N.S. It is a municipally designated building owned by the Town of Annapolis Royal. The designation includes the building and the property.

Heritage Value

The historical value of the Annapolis Royal Town Hall lies in its architectural style and continuous use as a place of public service to the citizens of Annapolis Royal, since its construction in 1922, built to replace the previous town hall that was destroyed by fire. It was built as a memorial to the local soldiers and sailors lost in the First World War, and named the Town Hall Memorial Building. While continuing as the Town Hall some original uses have been superseded with the fire hall and health clinic being replaced by the police station and public library.

The architectural value of the Town Hall lies in its nineteenth century Classical Revival style with a medium pitched gable roof, cornice with dentils, eaves of full return and suggested pediment between the eaves of clapboard painted white. The town hall includes a tower that displays the creativeness of the period, such as doors opening at the top onto small balconies with white railing supported by large brackets. The treatment of the street façade is unusual with a door opening onto the roof of the entrance porch providing a space for public announcements and displays. In general window sizes and proportions are consistent, with the exception of individual windows on the street façade, rear of building (partly blocked) and on the tower. The brick work of the building is of flemish bond with stretcher bond used as a major trim feature. The brick surface varies from well preserved to rough sections, small areas are painted. Some interior features remain, including stairways, wainscoting, banister and paneled doors.

The Town Hall’s imposing form is a manifestation of the presence of civil government in the Town of Annapolis Royal.

Source: Heritage Property Files, MAP #246 – 258 St. George Street, Town Hall, Town of Annapolis Royal.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of the Annapolis Royal Town Hall include:

- stand alone location near to Fort Anne and Annapolis Basin;
- end of building façade facing St. George Street commercial district;
- medium pitched gable roof with dentils on cornice;
- tower on south side of building with doors opening onto balconies overlooking the roof, topped by pointed bell cast roof with dormers set in each of the four sides;
- individual windows on the street façade, rear of building (partly blocked) and lower part of the tower, of different design from the rest of building;
- special roof ventilators in form of dormers on the North side;
- continuous use as a Town Hall providing civic government and other public services to Annapolis Royal;
- unpainted brick façades.