Perth in Lanark County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Perth Town Hall / l'Hôtel de Ville de Perth

1863

— Perth Designated Heritage Site —

Perth Town Hall / l'Hôtel de Ville de Perth Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 7, 2022

1. Perth Town Hall / l'Hôtel de Ville de Perth Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Perth's stately town hall is an enduring expression of the vitality and importance of local governments in the 19th century. Erected in 1863-1864, shortly after the town's incorporation, it recalls an era when such buildings served as more than the headquarters for municipal administration. In addition to offices and a council chamber, this town hall originally housed a market, band room, fire hall, police station, post office, as well as a large public hall. The building's elegant, classically inspired design and prominent location testify to its central role in community life.

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Construit en 1863-1864, peu après la constitution de Perth en municipalité, cet imposant édifice demeure un éloquent symbole du dynamisme des administrations municipales au XIX^e siècle. Comme d'autres hôtels de ville polyvalents de cette époque, celui-ci regroupait toute une gamme de services. Outre la salle du conseil et des bureaux, il comportait un marché, un poste de police et de pompiers, un bureau de poste, un local pour la fanfare et même une salle publique de

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mille places. Son élégante composition classique et son emplacement bien en vue témoignent de son importance au sein de cette communauté.

Erected 2001 by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux er monuments historique du Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list.

Location. 44° 53.952′ N, 76° 14.931′ W. Marker is in Perth, Ontario, in Lanark County. Marker is at the intersection of Gore Street East (County Highway 43) and Market Square, on the left when traveling west on Gore Street East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 80 Gore Street East, Perth ON K7H 1H9, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Prince of Wales Prize / Le Prix du Prince de Galles (here, next to this marker); The Old Perth Post Office / The Crain Building (within shouting distance of this marker); An Avenue to the Future / Un pas vers l'Avenir (within shouting distance of this marker); Carnegie Library (McMillan Building) (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Wright Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Doran-Riverside Building

Perth Town Hall Designated Heritage Site Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 7, 2022

2. Perth Town Hall Designated Heritage Site Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Hub of Activity & Change (within shouting distance of this marker); Boats, Boats, Boats (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perth.

Regarding Perth Town Hall / l'Hôtel de Ville de Perth. After the incorporation of the Town of Perth in 1859, one of the first orders of business was to construct a town hall. This was an era municipal government building throughout the province, and Perth’s efforts were suitably impressive. It was designed by John Power of Kingston and built of locally quarried Potsdam sandstone for $12,000. Although the dominate style is neoclassical, modern Italianate touches were added, which was a popular strategy for public buildings at the time. These include elongated rounded windows, vermiculated stone on windows and banded front door, a meticulous outline formed by stringcourse, quoins and dentils. It originally contained all services required for a municipality— police, fire, post office, jail cells, clerk’s office, council chambers, public utilities office—as well as an auditorium on the second floor. It has become an emblem of civic pride, especially the clock and cupola,

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which were added in 1874. A National Historic Site, the Perth Town Hall has had two major renovations in its history. The rear addition was built in the 1970s, so as to provide better accommodation for fire trucks and rehearsal space for the Perth Citizens’ Band. At the same time, new council chambers were built on the second floor, and the ground floor was reorganized for police, chamber of commerce, and municipal offices. In 2003, as a result of a major renovation and restoration project, the fire and police services were moved to a dedicated building on the Scotch Line, elevators were installed, the fire department’s garage were converted to office space, and the police quarters were converted to a provincial courtroom. (from Lanark County Tourism website)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 50 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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