The Second Supreme Court of Canada building sat to the west of
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
in
Ottawa and was home to the
Supreme Court of Canada from 1882 to 1945.
Built in 1874, it was built by
Chief Dominion Architect Thomas Seaton Scott
Thomas Seaton Scott (16 August 1826 – 15 or 16 June 1895) was an English-born Canadian architect. Born in Birkenhead, England he immigrated to Canada as a young man first settling in Montreal. He was hired by the Grand Trunk Railway and worke ...
for Department of Works as a workshop to maintain buildings on Parliament Hill.
Modified by
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...
from 1882 onwards it was shared by the Supreme Court and
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the ...
for six years until the former became the only tenant.
Prior to 1882, the Supreme Court conducted their business in various committee rooms on
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
, including the
Railway Committee Room. The court finally got a permanent home within a decade of its creation.
The first building for the Supreme Court was built on Bank Street near Parliament. The design was considered quaint and was less elegant than other government buildings in Ottawa. Although similar in design to the
West Block
The West Block (officially the Western Departmental Building; french: Édifice administratif de l'ouest) is one of the three buildings on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 28 January 2019, it has housed the interim House of Commons Cham ...
and the
East Block
The East Block (officially the Eastern Departmental Building; french: Édifice administratif de l'est) is one of the three buildings on Canada's Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing offices for parliamentarians, as well as some preser ...
, it was a more subdued modern
Gothic Revival design. After the Supreme Court moved to its
new site to the west of Parliament in 1949, this building was demolished in 1955 after it was condemned as a fire hazard. It is the only building on Parliament Hill to be demolished.
[Reconstruction, 1916–1965]
Archived from th
The site is currently a parking lot and vehicle screening facility for
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
.
References
External links
Creation and Beginnings of the Court Archived from th
original Supreme Court of Canada
Federal government buildings in Ottawa
Courthouses in Canada
Demolished buildings and structures in Ottawa
History of Ottawa
Legal history of Canada
Gothic Revival architecture in Ottawa
1874 establishments in Ontario
1955 disestablishments in Ontario
Buildings and structures demolished in 1955
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