Description of Historic Place
Building 22, a single casemate located at the end of the series of casemates, in the ramparts of the Richmond Bastion, forms a long section of the escarp. It is a 24 foot high vertical masonry wall stretching along the curtain. The roof hidden under turf supports the embrasures. A relieving arch frames the entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint.
Heritage Value
The Casemate, Building 22, is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
The Casemate occupies a large part of the escarp and is one of the best examples directly associated with the defence of British North America in the years following the War of 1812. After the war the United States remained a potential enemy to Canada and the best way to bolster the city’s defences was to build a permanent citadel on the Cap-aux-Diamants heights. The Casemates were an integral part of the defence system established at the Citadel at that time. They provide an excellent example highlighting the military role of the Citadel, which had a major impact on the civilian administration and local development of Québec.
Architectural Value
The Casemate is an excellent example of functional British military defence design. Its facades reflect the dual function of the Casemate which, as viewed from outside of the complex served as a defence work and inside the complex, served as housing for the soldiers. The casemate is the most complete expression of Elias Walker Durnford, a leading figure in the construction of the fortress.
The Environmental Value
The Casemate, Building 22 is a single casemate located at the end of the series of casemates Building 3 in the ramparts of the Richmond Bastion. The most imposing and best integrated complex in the Citadel, the Casemates, Buildings 3 and 22, are the primary structural elements of the site and reinforce the historical military character of its Citadel setting.
Sources:
Rhona Godspeed, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Federal Heritage Building Report 89-163.
The Casemates Buildings 3 and 22, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 89-163.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character defining elements of The Casemate, Building 22 should be respected, for example:
Its functional, defensive military design and high quality craftsmanship and materials such as:
- On the ditch side, its 24-foot high irregular masonry wall of finely cut stone, pierced by loopholes at ground level for its entire length, and with a course of stone marking the top of the wall.
- Overlooking the parade grounds, the neoclassical elements of the façades, composed of pilasters, a continuous cornice, fanlights, recessed panels, and wood gables over some of the doors.
-The roof, hidden under turf and supporting the embrasures.
-The entrance framed by a relieving arch.
-The two symmetrical curving staircases located at either end of the curtain wall
-The large vaulted interior spaces, thick walls, bomb-proof ceilings and the loopholes which made it possible to defend the ditch.
The manner in which the The Casemate, Building 22 reinforces the historical defensive military character of its fort setting located in the Québec Citadel.
