Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26
Recognized Federal Heritage Building
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
General view
(© Department of National Defence / Ministère de la Défense nationale, CFB / BFC St-Jean, 1989.)
Address :
CFB Saint-Jean, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Treasury Board Policy on Management of Real Property
Designation Date:
1989-10-19
Dates:
-
1885 to 1885
(Construction)
Event, Person, Organization:
-
Engineer Services Branch, Department of Militia and Defence
(Architect)
Custodian:
National Defence
FHBRO Report Reference:
88-175
DFRP Number:
06679 00
Description of Historic Place
The Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is part of a group of military school structures at the Collège Militaire Royal. The one-storey, rectangular structure has solid brick walls with stone details, including the base, window surrounds, corner quoins and the entrance portico. The steeply pitched hipped roof features a prominent central masonry chimney, which adds to the strong presence of the building. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is a recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
The Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is associated with the theme of the establishment of a permanent Canadian military force as a result of the Militia Act of 1883. Formerly a guardhouse, it was constructed to help meet the needs of the new Infantry Corps School located at Fort St. Jean. In 1952 the building became part of the Collège Militaire Royal, the first bilingual college in Canada. The artifacts contained in the Museum relate to Fort St. Jean and the military complex’s early garrison days.
Architectural Value
The Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is valued for its good aesthetic design, which exhibits numerous design features that reveal the influence of guardhouses built by the British Royal Engineers in Canada during the first half of the 19th century. Also of good functional design, the thick masonry walls divide the interior space into three moderately sized rooms, a lavatory, and four jail cells with windows to allow for natural light. The base, window surrounds, corners and portico of the building are defined by good-quality stone masonry, which creates a contrast with the brick walls.
Environmental Value
The Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is compatible with the present character of its military school setting at Collège Militaire Royal. The building is well-known to those who live and work in or frequent the complex.
Sources: Joanna H. Doherty, Museum Building (#26) and Administration Building (#24), Collège Militaire Royal, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Federal Heritage Building Review Office, Building Report, 88-175; Museum Building (#26), Collège Militaire Royal, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 88-175.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of the Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 should be respected.
Its aesthetic design, good functional design and fine quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the one-storey, rectangular massing with a steeply pitched roof and prominent central masonry chimney; the arrangement of door and window openings, which reflect the interior’s functional layout; the interior layout with thick masonry walls that divide the space into three moderately sized rooms, a lavatory, and four jail cells each containing a window; the brick walls and the stone masonry, including the base, window surrounds, corner quoins and entrance portico.
The manner in which the Museum, Former Guard House, Building 26 is compatible with the present character of its military school setting and is a well-known building, as evidenced by: its overall scale, rectangular massing, design and materials, which complement the other buildings within the earthen ramparts of old Fort St. Jean; its visual and physical relationship to the adjacent west wall; its familiarity to staff, students and visitors, given its role as museum.
Heritage Character Statement
Disclaimer -
The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.
Building #26 was originally a guard house built in 1885 to plans prepared by the Engineer Branch of the Department of Militia and Defence. Situated within the still visible earthen ramparts of the 1666 and 1757 Fort St. Jean, building #26 is part of a military complex that has a history which spans three centuries. The building became part of the Collège Militaire Royal in 1952 when the college, the first bilingual college, was established on the site. The building is owned by the Department of National Defence. See FHBRO Building Report 88-175.
Reasons for Designations
The Museum Building (#26), formerly a guard house, was designated Recognized because of its historical association, its architectural and environmental significance, and landmark value.
The former guard house is associated with the theme of the establishment of a permanent Canadian military force as a result of the Militia Act of 1883. The former guard house was built to help meet the needs of the new Infantry Corps School located there.
The former guard house has numerous design features that reveal the influence of guard houses built by the British Royal Engineers in Canada during the first half of the 19th century. Despite the fact that the guard house was converted to a museum in 1938, the building's exterior design and interior layout remain virtually unchanged from when it was built.
The former guard house and surrounding military buildings form an heterogeneous group of military school structures, well known regionally as well as nationally. As part of the grounds of the old Fort St. Jean, the former guard house benefits from the national renown accorded to the old fort. The artifacts contained in the Museum (former guard house) relate to Fort St. Jean and the military complex's early garrison days.
Character Defining Elements
The former guard house is a one storey, hip-roofed, porticoed, stone-trimmed brick building, which is based on a rectangular plan. The steeply pitched roof with the prominent central masonry chimney add to the strong presence of the building. The proportion and shape of the building and its roof should not be altered.
The base, windows, corners and portico are defined by stone masonry which creates a contrast with the brick walls. The masonry work is of good quality and has survived relatively well. It warrants careful maintenance, with the use of appropriate expertise for any repair and repointing. Cleaning with a gentle water wash would restore the original colour balance. The walls are punctuated with door and window openings. Their arrangement reflect the interior's functional layout. The pattern of openings as well as the original windows and doors should be maintained.
The interior layout remains unchanged from when it was built. Thick masonry walls divide the interior space into three moderately sized rooms, a lavatory, and four jail cells. Though they are small and narrow, the cells each have a window which would have allowed its occupant natural light. The original layout and any surviving finishes should be preserved.
Originally the building was part of the main entrance to the Infantry Corps School. This entrance limited access to the site by brick walls on the east and west side of the building and by a gate which was in the east wall. This east wall and gate no longer exist, although the west wall has been reconstructed. The west wall should be retained and should there be a need, consideration should be given at reconstructing the east wall and gate. The relationship of the building with other buildings within the earthen ramparts of old Fort St. Jean should be maintained.