Renovated 2007 Inaugurated 1867 | Completed 1866 Opened 1866 Construction started 1862 | |
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Address 297 Pembroke Street East Owner Ministry of Infrastructure Similar Ottawa Courthouse, Calgary Courts Centre, Toronto Pan Am Sports Ce, Blue Water Bridge, Exhibition Place | ||
The Renfrew County Courthouse is a designated heritage property and operational courthouse in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.
Contents
- Map of Renfrew County Courthouse Pembroke ON Canada
- Original building
- Designation
- 2005 expansion
- Awards
- Contemporary use
- References
Map of Renfrew County Courthouse, Pembroke, ON, Canada
Original building
The neoclassical complex includes three buildings: the courthouse itself, a registry office and a small jail. The courthouse was built from 1862 to 1866, the registry office from 1862 to 1868, and the jail from 1864 to 1866. As the Confederation of Canada occurred in 1867, the building is referred to as "Confederation-era". The original courthouse was designed by Henry Horsey.
The registry office was built to the fire-prevention standards of the then-Chief Architect of Canada, Kivas Tully, who had an "obsession" with safety.
The sandstone used in the original construction was quarried at nearby Morrison Island.
The County Atlas of 1881 describes the courthouse as "one of the finest in Canada, combining the features of chaste beauty with simple elegance of construction in a degree possessed by few if any others in the country." The exterior of the registry was re-bricked in the 1980s, and the heritage value suffered.
Designation
The complex is protected under the Cultural Heritage Protocol Agreement the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Recreation and the Management Board Secretariat (Ontario Realty Corporation). It has not, however, been municipally designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.
2005 expansion
From 2005 to 2007, the building underwent significant heritage restoration. More than half of the original jail has been incorporated into the new facility. The renovation was led by NORR Limited Architects and Engineers.
The new construction used limestone from Guelph, Ontario. It added 48,276 square feet (4,485.0 m2) to the 18,729 of the preserved historic buildings.
Awards
Contemporary use
The renovated courthouse currently houses both a Superior Court of Justice and an Ontario Court of Justice, using its six courtrooms. It also has "two jury deliberation rooms, two settlement rooms, a victim/witness program office, Crown attorney offices and a secure vehicle drop-off point for in-custody individuals."