Mewata Armoury
| Mewata Armoury | |
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Armoury entrance
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| Location | 801 11th Street S.W., Calgary, Southern Alberta, Alberta, Canada |
| Built | 1915–18 |
| Architect | Thomas Fuller, Dominion Architect |
| Website | Mewata Armouries |
Mewata Armoury (also referred to as Mewata Armouries) is a Canadian Forces reserve armoury in Calgary, Alberta.
The building was built between 1915 and 1918 for an original cost of $282,051 Canadian dollars. The building was designed by Thomas W. Fuller (Department of Public Works Architect) and the project was supervised locally by Calgary architect Leo Dowler. The structure was actually built by A.G. Creelman Co. of Vancouver.
The building is located at 801 11th Street S.W. and is still home to local Militia units, chiefly The King's Own Calgary Regiment and The Calgary Highlanders.
The building has a cut stone foundation with a structure of red brick (common bond with steel reinforcement) and sandstone. The drill hall is significant for the large uninterrupted span of its steel trusses. A second story on the west side was added some time after original construction.
The building was designed in a Tudor/Gothic Revival style. A classic example of armoury design, Mewata has features deliberately bringing to mind a medieval fortress or castle, including four square corner towers, four smaller six sided towers, and buttresses with turrets and a crenellated roofline.
The original design featured a large central drill hall with 117 rooms (two storeys of soldiers quarters) arranged around its perimeter. The basement included bowling alleys and 30 yard shooting ranges. The facility also included officers' and sergeants' billiard rooms. Barracks have been altered in recent years to serve as offices and storage space. A catwalk around the drill hall has been enclosed on the north and south sides, as well as part of the east side, leaving a short "balcony" overlooking the parade square.
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque at the Mewata Armouries states The seale and bold design of the Mewata Armoury exemplify the wave of national pride that greeted Canada’s strong performance in the South African War. In western Canada this military enthusiasm led to a dramatic increase in militia enrolment and resulted in the construction of new drill halls and armouries on an unprecedented scale. Mewata Armoury, one of the largest and most fully equipped of its type, was built in 1917-1918. For many years it has been home to the King’s Own Calgary Regiment and the Calgary Highlanders, both of which were established in 1910.
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