Old fire hall to receive heritage designation
Posted Jul 1, 2010 By Ashley Kulp
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Tweet ThisEMC News - The historic features of the old Kemptville Armory will remain in place for years to come after council decided to protect the building with a heritage designation.
All council members were in favour of proceeding with the designation when it was discussed during the June 21 Committee of the Whole council meeting held at the Burritts Rapids Community Hall. The idea stemmed from council's discussion on surplus buildings of which the armory (the former Kemptville Fire Hall at 25 Reuben Crescent) was one. After council decided to sell off several of the buildings (see related story this week) during the May 24 council meeting, the municipality's heritage advisory committee was asked for input. As a result, they indicated their desire to see the armory receive a heritage designation, a concept staff supported.
"This building is significant in that it is one of the few remaining examples of this type of architecture left in Ontario and Canada," explained North Grenville Heritage Advisory Committee chair Rowena Cooper in a May 25 report to council. "While there have been significant modifications to the structure over the years, the remaining original fabric of the building is still present. This property should be designated heritage, particularly if it is not to remain in municipal ownership."
According to senior planner Phil Gerrard, the designation is based on a review of the property's historical and architectural merits by municipal staff. And only certain aspects of the building will be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, including: the shape of the roof, which is a gable style, the brick siding, the corbeled brick work on the eaves, the original large upper windows, as well as the 'bulls-eye' windows at both gable ends of the building.
Mayor Bill Gooch, who was initially leery about proceeding with a heritage designation due to the restrictions it might place on potential commercial buyers, believed that the features to be designated wouldn't be a problem.
"With the clarification provided (from staff), the designated items are not going to prevent someone from making that building into a successful operation," he stated.
The armory was designed and built in 1914 as a military drill hall during World War I. It is a two-storey administrative building, rectangular in size, but highlighted by the gable roof.
Constructed in a vernacular Regency Revival style, another featured characteristic of the armory is its flat, segmental-headed arch windows. In order to accommodate the Kemptville Fire Department when they moved there from the old town hall on Water St. in mid-1960s, the original entrance doors have been replaced at the side entrance and the front façade has been changed dramatically to allow for the installation of three large garage doors for fire engines. Most likely due to a fire which occurred in 1933, the roof, cornice and eaves have been reconstructed.
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