Description of Historic Place

Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 is a British-inspired, utilitarian, military structure that consists of a one-storey, rectangular wood frame building with a hipped roof, wood shiplap cladding, and a rubble and concrete foundation. One of the first three structures built at Work Point, Building 1004 is located opposite the guardhouse (Building 1001) at the end of the main entrance road, at Work Point Barracks, CFB Esquimalt. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value:
Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 is associated with the need for coastal artillery defence in the Victoria-Esquimalt area of southwestern British Columbia. Work Point Barracks was established in 1887 as the quartering, administrative, and command center for the C Battery, Regiment of Canadian Artillery. In 1893, it became the command headquarters of an expanded coastal defence system which was intended to protect the Dockyard and the nearby capital of Victoria from attack by hostile warships. Building 1004 was later used to quarter Canadian troops during WWI and is the only remaining example of three barracks blocks from the initial establishment of the Work Point Barracks site.

Architectural value:
Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 is a good example of a 19th century British-inspired, utilitarian, military structure, that features classical proportions and detailing. Along with Buildings 1001 and 1027, the general design and massing of Building 1004 influenced the design of subsequent frame structures on the site.

Environmental value:
Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 is located on a relatively flat site with simple landscaping and is compatible with the military setting and the other surviving pre-1906 frame buildings located near the main gate. Building 1004 stands opposite the Guardhouse at the end of the main entrance road, and is highly visible to all those entering or leaving the Work Point Barracks.

Sources:
Ian Doull, Work Point Barracks, CFB Esquimalt (15 Buildings), Esquimalt, BC. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Building Report 89-205; Building 1004 (Former Enlisted Men’s Barracks), CFB Esquimalt, Esquimalt, British Columbia. Heritage Character Statement 89-205.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Work Point Barracks: No. 1004 should be respected.

Its simple massing, classical proportions and detailing, good quality materials and competent craftsmanship as manifested in:
-the symmetrical, one-storey rectangular wood frame building which features a projecting central entrance vestibule with brackets, a double-leaf door and semi-circular transom;
-the regular fenestration consisting of multi-paned windows on both the front and rear elevations;
-the broad expanse of the building’s hipped roof broken only by two gables on the main elevation and over the central projecting entrance; and,
-the textures and colours of the exterior cladding, including the white shiplap siding and green cornerboards, and green window and door surrounds.

The compatibility of the building with the military character of the setting as evidenced in:
-its compatibility with the other surviving pre-1906 wood frame buildings also located near the main gate; and,
-its visual prominence owing to its close proximity to the main gate of the Work Point Barracks complex and its location at the eastern end of the parade square which continues to be the principal organizing feature of the site.