Halifax Armoury
| Halifax Armoury | |
|---|---|
The Halifax Armoury overlooking Halifax Common
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| General information | |
| Type | Drill Hall / armoury |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival Style |
| Location | Halifax Nova Scotia Canada |
| Address | 2667 North Park St, Halifax, NS B3K 1C6 |
| Current tenants | 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, 33 (Halifax) Field Ambulance |
| Construction started | 1895 |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Renovated | 2017 - |
| Renovation cost | $131 million (2017) |
| Client | Canadian Forces |
| Owner | Government of Canada |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Sandstone structure; Fink Truss Roof |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
Thomas Fuller, Chief Dominion Architect |
| Official name | Halifax Drill Hall National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1989 |
Thomas Fuller, Chief Dominion Architect
The Halifax Armoury is a prominent and historic structure in central Halifax Nova Scotia. The armoury is the home base of 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, and several other reserve units. The building remains an active military structure.
The armoury was designed in 1895 by Chief Dominion Architect Thomas Fuller, and was opened the next year and work on the structure was completed in 1899. While the sandstone exterior is based on a medieval castle, it was actually one of the most advanced structures of its day. It was pioneering in its use of a series of Fink trusses to create a large interior space with no columns or walls, and is today the oldest surviving example of such a building. It was also one of the first buildings in Halifax to be lit by electricity.
It has played an important part in many Canadian wars, being an important transit point for soldiers before departing by ship for the Boer War and both World Wars. It was damaged in the Halifax Explosion in 1917, the west wall being displaced inward by about 60 centimeters. Still usable after the explosion, the armoury provided shelter for many who had lost their homes.
The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989. In 1991, it was designated a Classified Federal Heritage Building.
Major renovations were announced in January 2017 to restore the west wall to its original position after being damaged in 1917. Up to 20 percent of the wall required replacement and it was decided to use stone from the original quarry after the source was located in Beckwith, near Pugwash, Nova Scotia.
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