Description of Historic Place

Incorporated into the wall of the Prince of Wales Bastion, the full length of the Quebec Citadel National Historic Site of Canada, Building No. 44, also known as the former Defensive Casemates, is below ground, and the only evidence of its existence is the series of loopholes, which pierce the flank of the Prince of Wales Bastion. The defensive wall extends into a crenellated parapet where a band course indicates the line of the roof, hidden by a grass-covered terreplein. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Building No. 44 is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Building No. 44 is one of the best examples directly associated with the defense of British North America in the years following the War of 1812. After the war, the United States of America remained a potential enemy to Canada and the best way to bolster the city’s defenses was to build a permanent citadel on the Cap-aux-Diamants heights. The Building No. 44 was an integral part of the defense system established to ward off the threat posed by the United States. 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 Building No. 44 is a very good example of a British military defense structure with excellent functional design. Its vaulted building design clearly reflects the defensive character of the building. Its architectural value also lies in its quality craftsmanship and materials.

The Environmental Value
Located in the corner of the Prince of Wales Bastion beneath the terre-plein, built to command the sallyport in Mann’s Bastion and the portion of the top of the bluff behind the Former Commissariat (Building No. 8), the Building No. 44 reinforces the historical defensive-military character of the Citadel setting. Its defensive function strengthens the defensive role of the military components of the fortress in the immediate vicinity and its materials and design blend in well with the other buildings on the site.

Sources:
Rhona Godspeed, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Federal Heritage Building Report 89-161; Former Defensive Casemate, Building 44, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 89-161.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of Building No. 44 should be respected.

Its functional, defensive military design and high quality craftsmanship and materials such as:
-its vaulted building of cut stone with its full length below ground and the series of loopholes which pierce the flank of the Prince of Wales Bastion being the only visible feature of the building from the outside;
-its defensive wall that extends into a crenellated parapet and a band course that indicates the line of the roof which is hidden by a grass-covered terreplein;
-its access through a long masonry passage adjacent to the Former Commissariat Building No. 8.

The manner in which the Building No. 44 reinforces the historical defensive military character of its fort setting located in the Québec Citadel.