Architecture of St. John's
Encyclopedia
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
has a style distinct from that of the rest of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and its major buildings are remnants of its history and prestige as the first British colonial capital. The city of St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
has had a long history, with inhabitation dating to the 16th century onwards. As the city grew, so, too, did the landscape. Buildings took a variety of styles according to the styles and means available to build the structures. Starting as a fishing outpost for European fishermen, St. John's consisted mostly of the homes of fishermen, sheds, storage shacks, and wharves. Of course, these structures were small and constructed out of wood. Like many other cities of the time, as the Industrial Revolution took hold and new methods and materials for construction were introduced, the landscape changed as the city grew in width and height. The Great Fire of 1892
Great Fire of 1892
The Great Fire in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on July 8, 1892, is remembered as the worst disaster ever to befall that city. Previous "Great Fire"s had occurred in St...
destroyed most of the downtown
Downtown St. John's
Downtown St. John's is the historic core and central business district of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Located north of St. John's harbour, it is the business, entertainment, and tourism centre with office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other services.The historic boundaries...
core, and most residential and other wood-frame buildings date from this period. Often compared to San Francisco because of its hilly terrain and steep maze of residential streets, housing in St. John's is typically painted in bright colours, unlike most other parts of Canada.
Perhaps the most notable of structures in the city is the Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Basilica of St. John the Baptist
The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland....
, which was built in the 19th century in a lombard Romanesque style. At the time of its completion, it was one of the largest building in North America. Another dominant structure is the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador
Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador is the superior court for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has jurisdiction to hear appeals in both criminal and civil matters from the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador ,...
.
Church architecture
- Basilica of St. John the BaptistBasilica of St. John the BaptistThe Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland....
- Cathedral of St. John the BaptistCathedral of St. John the Baptist (St. John's)The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is located in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland. This parish in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador was founded in 1699 in response to a petition drafted by the Anglican townsfolk of St. John's and sent to the Bishop of London, the Rt. Rev....
- St. John's Hindu TempleSt. John's Hindu Temple (Newfoundland)The St. John's Hindu Temple is located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In 1975 Hindus established a Hindu temple in Mount Pearl, Swami Chinmayananda donated a marble statue of Krishna which was installed by Swami Dayananda. The temple functioned as an independent organization with...
- St. Patrick's ChurchSt. Patrick's Church (St. John's)Saint Patrick's Church is a Roman Catholic church in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.-History:The cornerstone of St. Patrick's Church was laid on September 17, 1855, by Bishop John T. Mullock and other distinguished clergy from Canada and the United States. American financier, Cyrus Field,...
- George Street United ChurchGeorge Street United ChurchGeorge Street United Church is the oldest Methodist church in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Designed by Elijah Hoole, it is architecturally valuable as a fine example of a modified Gothic Revival church....
Historic buildings
Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit organization which was established by the Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1984 to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the architectural heritage of the province...
as Historic Places.
- Anderson House
- Bank of British North America BuildingBank of British North America BuildingThe Bank of British North America Building built in the Italianate style was constructed in 1849 for the British Bank of North America, Newfoundland's first commercial bank. The building was built after the St...
- Basilica of St. John the BaptistBasilica of St. John the BaptistThe Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland....
- Benevolent Irish SocietyBenevolent Irish SocietyThe Benevolent Irish Society is a philanthropic organization founded on 17 February 1806, a month before the Feast of St. Patrick, in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is the oldest philanthropic organization in North America. Membership is open to adult residents of Newfoundland who are of Irish birth...
- Bishop Feild CollegeBishop Feild CollegeBishop Feild College , founded in 1844, is a school in St. John's, Newfoundland...
- Cabot TowerCabot Tower (Newfoundland)Cabot Tower is a tower in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, situated on Signal Hill. Construction of tower begun in 1898 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland, and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee....
- Cathedral of St. John the BaptistCathedral of St. John the Baptist (St. John's)The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is located in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland. This parish in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador was founded in 1699 in response to a petition drafted by the Anglican townsfolk of St. John's and sent to the Bishop of London, the Rt. Rev....
- Colonial BuildingColonial BuildingColonial Building was the home of the Newfoundland government and the House of Assembly from January 28, 1850 to July 28, 1959. In 1974 it was declared a Provincial Historic Site....
- Government HouseGovernment House (Newfoundland and Labrador)Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. Government House was a by-product of the wave of administrative initiatives that took place during the 1820s. The royal charter of 1825 bestowed official colonial status for Newfoundland.The first...
- LSPU HallLSPU HallThe LSPU Hall is a large wooden structure in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Located on 3 Victoria Street it is currently the home of the Resource Centre for the Arts '. The name comes from a previous owner, the Longshoremen's Protective Union.- History of the location :Like many other...
- Masonic TempleMasonic Temple (St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador)The Masonic Temple built in 1894 at St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada is an example of Victorian construction which includes pilasters, free-standing columns and multiple pediments....
- Murray PremisesMurray PremisesThe Murray Premises is a National Historic Site located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Murray Premises was renovated in 1979 and now contains office suites, restaurants, retail stores and, most recently, a boutique hotel. The buildings once served as a fishery premises, with...
- Newfoundland Museum
- Railway Coastal MuseumRailway Coastal MuseumThe Railway Coastal Museum is a transportation museum located in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is located in the historic Newfoundland Railway Station on Water Street and contains exhibits detailing the history of the Newfoundland Railway and the history of coastal water transportation in the...
- St. John's Court House
- St. Patrick's ChurchSt. Patrick's Church (St. John's)Saint Patrick's Church is a Roman Catholic church in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.-History:The cornerstone of St. Patrick's Church was laid on September 17, 1855, by Bishop John T. Mullock and other distinguished clergy from Canada and the United States. American financier, Cyrus Field,...
Other notable structures
- Arts and Culture CentreArts and Culture CentreThe Arts and Culture Centres are a system of six arts centres in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, operated by the provincial government's Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation...
- Avalon MallAvalon MallThe Avalon Mall is a Canadian shopping mall located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. With over , two floors, there are over 140 stores, making it the largest shopping mall in Newfoundland and Labrador. The mall opened in 1967 and is owned by Crombie REIT.-History:The mall was built in...
- Confederation BuildingConfederation Building (Newfoundland and Labrador)The Confederation Building is located on Confederation Hill overlooking the Newfoundland & Labrador's capital city St. John's, and serves as the home of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. The brick and concrete clad building has 11 storeys and is 64 metres tall, it was...
- CFS St. John'sCFS St. John'sCanadian Forces Station St. John's is a Canadian Forces Station located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.CFS St. John’s is located on north shore of Quidi Vidi Lake on part of the former site of Pepperrell Air Force Base, as well as a small adjunct area on St. John's Harbour...
- The FluvariumThe FluvariumThe Suncor Energy Fluvarium also known as the Fluvarium is a public centre for environmental education, located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and is operated by the Quidi Vidi/Rennie's River Development Foundation....
- Johnson Geo CentreJohnson Geo CentreThe Johnson Geo Centre is a geological interpretation centre located on Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland. Most of the centre is located underground, in an excavated glacial formation that shows the exposed bedrock of the hill...
- Nickel TheatreNickel TheatreThe Nickel Theatre was the first movie theatre in Newfoundland. Part of the five-cent picture show craze that brought daily movies to almost every city and town all across North America, the Nickel opened in the Benevolent Irish Society's St. Patrick's Hall on July 1, 1907, one of a chain of B.F....
- Mile One CentreMile One CentreMile One Centre is an indoor arena and entertainment venue located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The centre's name comes from it being located at the beginning of the Trans-Canada Highway. At full capacity the arena can seat 7,000 people.The arena opened in May 2001, as...
- Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (St. John's)The Memorial Stadium was a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. St. John's previous indoor arena, Prince's Rink, burned down in 1941, but the demands of the Second World War prevented the city from replacing it until well after the war ended...
- Memorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
- National War MemorialNational War Memorial (Newfoundland)The National War Memorial in Downtown St. John's is the most elaborate of all the post World War I monuments in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was erected at King's Beach on Water Street where, in 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland for England. It was formally unveiled on Memorial Day,...
- Newfoundland Hotel
- Newfoundland Margarine Company LimitedNewfoundland Margarine Company LimitedThe Newfoundland Butter Company founded by John Chalker Crosbie in 1925 was one of three oleomargarine manufacturing firms established in Newfoundland during the early 20th century...
- The RoomsThe RoomsThe Rooms is a cultural facility in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The facility opened in 2005 and houses the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.On a hill overlooking...
- Village Shopping CentreVillage Shopping CentreThe Village Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is the second largest mall in Newfoundland and Labrador...
Tallest buildings
| Rank | Name | Height | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confederation Building Confederation Building (Newfoundland and Labrador) The Confederation Building is located on Confederation Hill overlooking the Newfoundland & Labrador's capital city St. John's, and serves as the home of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. The brick and concrete clad building has 11 storeys and is 64 metres tall, it was... |
1959 | |
| 2 | John Cabot Place | 1993 | |
| 3 | St. Patrick's Church St. Patrick's Church (St. John's) Saint Patrick's Church is a Roman Catholic church in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.-History:The cornerstone of St. Patrick's Church was laid on September 17, 1855, by Bishop John T. Mullock and other distinguished clergy from Canada and the United States. American financier, Cyrus Field,... |
1914 | |
| 4 | Cabot Place | 1987 | |
| 5 | Delta Hotel | 1988 | |
| 6 | Scotia Centre | 1987 | |
| 7 | Southcott Hall | 1964 | |
| 8 | Fortis Building Fortis Building The Fortis Building is the headquarters of Fortis Inc. located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada. It was completed in 1969.The building stands 12 storeys high and is located on Water Street next to the TD Building.... |
1969 | |
| 9 | TD Place | 1981 | |
| 10 | Atlantic Place | 1975 | |
| 10 | Tiffany Village | 2009 |
Omitting churches gives a slightly different list of tallest buildings.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Downtown St. John'sDowntown St. John'sDowntown St. John's is the historic core and central business district of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Located north of St. John's harbour, it is the business, entertainment, and tourism centre with office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other services.The historic boundaries...