Alberta Register of Historic Places

Drumheller Courthouse

Drumheller

Other Names:

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place
The Drumheller Courthouse is a two-storey building clad in yellow brick. The façade features eight symmetrical bays of one-over-one double-hung wooden sash windows and sandstone spandrels, separated by a larger, slightly-projecting sandstone bay. The central bay features ganged windows situated over a flat canopy that extends over a central entrance block. A metal cast of the provincial coat of arms and ‘1954’ are attached to the wall on either side of the aluminum double front doors. The building is situated at 703 – 2 Avenue West in a residential neighbourhood in Drumheller, near the Red Deer River.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Drumheller Courthouse rests in its reflection of the growth and expansion of Alberta’s judicial system after World War Two. It is further significant as an early, excellent and highly intact example of the dramatic shift in Alberta courthouse architecture in the 1950s.

The construction of the Drumheller Courthouse in 1954 was part of a larger program of courthouse construction initiated in the 1950s to address the urgent need for more space and modern facilities for the province’s justice system. The need by the early 1950s was quite urgent – the business of Alberta’s court system grew dramatically after World War Two, driven in large part by the province’s rapid population growth and explosive natural resource development. The problem was exacerbated by the government’s neglect of the previous two decades, as Alberta had devoted few resources to courthouse construction, maintenance and modernization during the Great Depression and World War Two. The Drumheller Courthouse was one of the first new courthouses built during this post-war expansion, and strongly reflects the need for modern new facilities to meet the demands of a dynamic, growing province.

The building’s design and construction reflects a dramatic and important shift away from the architectural style typical of courthouses in pre-World War Two Alberta. Early twentieth-century courthouses were often monumental in form and scale with heavy classical detailing, emphasizing the permanence, solidity and strength of the justice system. Such an emphasis was symbolically very important in the 1910s and 1920s, as Alberta transitioned from the fluid conditions of frontier settlement to stable economic development and urban growth. This emphasis on historicism to emphasize stability and permanence was much less relevant after World War Two, as a confident, dynamic province looked to the future rather than the past for its architectural design. The Drumheller Courthouse is in line with forward-looking post-war aesthetics, which emphasized the simplification of forms, the elimination of historically-derived architectural details, and the use of materials to express the structure of a building. At the same time, the design of the courthouse does not entirely abandon the essential classical revival design elements that characterized earlier examples, such as the Red Deer Courthouse. These elements include the symmetrical façade; the prominent main entrance featuring the cast metal (possibly aluminum) Alberta Coat of Arms; and the vertical bays created by the windows and spandrels, echoing the pilasters and columns of earlier courthouses. The Drumheller Courthouse is a modern building that achieves a dignified blend of elements typical of early post-World War Two courthouses in Alberta.
Source: Alberta Culture and Tourism, Histoirc Resources Management Branch (File: Des 2332)

Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage value of the Drumheller Courthouse include such elements as its:
· Scale, form and massing;
· yellow brick with sandstone detailing;
· one-over-one double-hung windows;
· central sandstone-clad entrance block, prominent from the main façade, with aluminum double doors and extending flat canopy over the entrance;
· cast of grey metal Alberta Coat of Arms and ‘1954’ flanking the main doors;
· ganged windows above the front entrance.
· marble panelling in main entrance foyer;
· painted wrought iron bannisters and wooden handrails;
· original light fixtures located in the foyer and corridors and ventilation covers located in the courtrooms;
· original wood panelling throughout, especially detailed in the courtrooms and judges’ chambers;
· terrazzo flooring in stairwells and hallways; and
· glass partition and service counter on the main floor.

Location

Street Address:	703 - 2 Avenue West
Community:	Drumheller
Boundaries:	Lot 22, Block 47, Plan 1912243
Contributing Resources:	Building

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD
4	20	29	11

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel
3587HX	47	A

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
51.464394	-112.718232		NAD83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type
380643	5702869

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	2017/02/16

Historical Information

Built:	1954 to 1954
Period of Significance:	1954 to 1984
Theme(s):	Governing Canada : Security and Law
Historic Function(s):
Current Function(s):
Architect:
Builder:
Context:

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-1382
Designation File:	DES 2332
Related Listing(s):
Heritage Survey File:	HS 30300
Website Link:
Data Source:	Alberta Culture and Tourism, Historic Resources Management Branch, Old St. Stephen’s College, 8820 – 112 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P8 (File: Des 2332)