Description of Historic Place
Located on the park grounds of the Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada, the Officers’ Quarters is a storey and a half, gambrel-roofed rectangular structure. Eight dormer windows are built into the lower slopes of the gambrel roof on both the front and back of the building. Doric pedimented porticoes mark the two entrances on both the front and rear facades. Pilasters and pediments of similar design ornament the enclosed porch at the north end and the doorway at the south end. Three massive cement-clad chimneys rise from the ridge board of the roof. Exterior cladding is cement stucco on metal lath designed to resemble clapboard. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
The Officers’ Quarters is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values
The Officers’ Quarters is a very good and important early example of the commemoration of historic events in Canada and illustrates federal conservation policy and philosophy in the 1930’s period. It is also associated with the British military presence at Annapolis Royal in the late 18th and early 19th century. It was built by the British military and served as barracks for officers and soldiers until the withdrawal of the garrison in 1854. In 1917, Fort Anne was established as Dominion Park and the building used as a museum. In 1934-1935 major renovations were undertaken by the Dominion Parks Branch of the Department of the Interior, which serves to illustrate the absence of both a formal federal preservation policy and consciousness in the 1930’s.
The 20th century Officers’ Quarters is a very good example of an eclectic blend of 18th and 19th century military and maritime and residential colonial-revival style architecture. Essentially classical in character, it is defined by the exterior elevation, its regularized plan, all extant original fabric and details, and the fire proof structure and other features of the 1930s’ intervention. These latter features relate to the philosophy of conservation and the role of visual aesthetics in conservation in the 1930s.
The Officers’ Quarters at Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada maintain an unchanged relationship with its landscape. The Officers’ Quarters reinforce the present character of its park-like setting on the grounds of Fort Anne. It is a landmark known nationally and the building, with its distinctive silhouette, is the most prominent structure on the site.
Sources: Margaret Coleman, Officer’s Quarters, Fort Anne National Historic Park, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Building Report 88-56; Officer’s Quarters, Fort Anne National Historic Park, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Heritage Character Statement 88-56.
The character-defining elements of the Officers’ Barracks should be respected.
Its very good example of an eclectic blend of military, maritime and residential colonial-revival style architecture, features of the 1930’s intervention, high quality craftsmanship and materials as manifested in:
-its storey-and-a-half, gambrel-roofed, rectangular structure with a regularized plan;
-its massive cement-clad false chimneys rising from the ridge board of the roof and basic interior plan divided into sections both representing features of military architecture;
-its 1930’s colonial-revival features with its 18th century Doric pedimented porticoes and pilasters and pediments of similar design ornamenting the enclosed porch at the north end and doorway at the south end;
-its double-hung dormer windows placed high in the roof slope representing residential colonial-revival style architecture;
-its fireproof construction with exterior elevations of cement stucco cladding on metal lath designed to simulate clapboard walls typical of the traditional building material in the Maritime Provinces.
The manner in which the Officers’ Barracks maintains an unchanged historical relationship with its landscape and reinforces the present character of the park-like setting of the grounds at Fort Anne.