Built in 1891 at no. 175 Queen Street East.
"The St. Marys Town Hall, located at 175 Queen Street East, is on the northeast corner of Queen Street East and Church Street North in downtown St. Marys. The three storey limestone and red sandstone town hall was constructed in 1891.
The property was designated by the Town of St. Marys in 1981 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 56-1981).
The St. Marys Town Hall was erected in 1891 on the former site of a two storey hotel that burned down in 1889. The building committee of the day saw the fire as an opportunity to rebuild the Town Hall as a monumental building that would stand the test of time and instil a sense of great pride in the community. The Town Council took heed of this recommendation and the building remains an iconic structure within the Town of St. Marys. The St. Marys Town Hall has operated as the offices for municipal services for well over 100 years.
Built of local limestone with dichromatic red sandstone accents from a plan created by Toronto architect George W. Gouinlock, the hall is composed of a five storey tower, a turret and a smaller body with a gable roofline which abuts both Queen and Church Streets. Characteristic of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, the hall features round headed windows and arches, rusticated masonry and recessed windows and doorways with contrasting stonework above. Other noteworthy features include the multi arched portico surrounding the entrance on the facade and the checkerboard effect evident on the facade.
Situated on a prominent corner within the downtown area, the Town Hall's tower and roof dominate the St. Marys skyline. The close proximity of the building to the St. Marys Public Library, another heritage building constructed with similar materials, contribute significantly to the strong heritage identity of the downtown area." - info from Historic Places.
"St. Marys is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the north branch of the Thames River and Trout Creek southwest of Stratford, and is surrounded by the Township of Perth South in Perth County, Ontario. St. Marys operates under its own municipal government that is independent from the county's government. Nonetheless, the three entities "enjoy a large degree of collaboration and work together to grow the region as a leading location for industry and people". Census data published for Perth County by Statistics Canada includes St. Marys and most Perth County publications also do, at least in some sections of the document.
The town is also known by its nickname, "The Stone Town", due to the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area, giving rise to numerous limestone buildings and homes throughout the town. St. Marys Cement, a large cement producer founded in the town, capitalized on this close feed stock, and grew to be a major producer of cement in the province of Ontario.
St. Marys is home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. It is the burial place of Arthur Meighen, Canada's ninth prime minister. Timothy Eaton, who went on to become one of Canada's most famous retailers, opened his first businesses in Canada in nearby Kirkton, Ontario, and later St. Marys." - info from Wikipedia.
Late June to early July, 2024 I did my 4th major cycling tour. I cycled from Ottawa to London, Ontario on a convoluted route that passed by Niagara Falls. During this journey I cycled 1,876.26 km and took 21,413 photos. As with my other tours a major focus was old architecture.
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Tags: Adventure Canada Canada West Ontario Southern Ontario Tour Travel Upper Canada St. Marys Stone Old Historic Architecture Building Buildings