Description of Historic Place

The Court House at 409 Main Street is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the City of Melfort. Built in 1928, the property features a two-storey court house faced in rough brick and situated on a large landscaped lot.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Court House at 409 Main Street resides in its architecture. Constructed in 1928, the building is one of a series of court houses designed by the office of the provincial architect. Architect and engineer Maurice Sharon designed ten provincial court houses during his tenure as provincial architect from 1916 to 1930. Several towns and cities were identified as judicial centres where court houses should be built. Larger centres, like Yorkton, Kerrobert, Prince Albert, Weyburn and Estevan, received buildings of substantial size. For smaller communities, a prototypical design was developed and realized first in Gravelbourg and later in Shaunavon, Wynyard, Melfort and Assiniboia. The Yorkton Court House, Sharon’s first design, exhibits an elaborate Beaux-Arts style common to other provincial buildings constructed before his appointment. He embraced a Colonial Revival style for the remaining nine buildings, including Melfort’s court house. These buildings featured pitched roofs, rain gutters integrated with projecting metal cornices, central cupolas with attic ventilation, and brick cladding trimmed with stone. The incorporation of these design elements reduced construction costs and improved roof drainage while retaining the appropriate sense of grandeur for a judicial building.

The Court House at 409 Main Street is valued as a landmark in the community. The terrazzo floors, the use of the provincial crest and the wood trim are among several decorative elements that elevated court houses above other government offices. Situated on a large, landscaped lot, the grounds terrace upward, raising the building to create an imposing image. The lawns, flower beds and shrubs coordinate with the terraces and are important features of the site. The court house is one of the oldest buildings constructed by the provincial government in Melfort.

Source:

City of Melfort Bylaw No. 91-15.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Court House at 409 Main Street resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that illustrate Maurice Sharon’s interpretation of Colonial Revival architecture, such as the symmetrical façades, central cupola, sloped roof, brick walls, main entrances adorned with transoms and entrance portico with columns;
-those interior elements that reflect the building’s original function as a court house, such as the woodwork, terrazzo flooring, doorknobs marked with the provincial crest, marble trim and traces of original signage;
-those elements reflecting its prominence in the community, such as its “court house” signage, the landscaped grounds and the building’s orientation on its original lot.