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Site Record
Metadata
Site Name |
Victoria Jubilee Hall |
Site# |
806 |
Description |
Walkerton's first Town Hall was buillt by David Siebert, in the form of a frame structure, in 1872. It was 30 x 62 feet, and had a bell tower and a lean-to for the caretaker's residence. In the late 1890s, a new building was constructed, following public consultation which began in 1896. The laying of the cornerstone for this building occurred on August 12, 1897. The cornerstone bears the inscription "Victoria Jubilee Hall" commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. In February 1898, Walkerton Council began meeting in the new Town Hall which became known as Victoria Jubilee Hall, at 111 Jackson Street, Walkerton (Municipality of Brockton). Originally, the ground level was used for a farmers' market as well. It was later converted to a fire hall and firemen's quarters. Over the years, the rest of the building housed municipal offices, a market place, the Opera Hall, council chambers, the public utilities commission and a police office. (http://www.vjhall.on.ca/. The Opera Hall area of the building seats 300. Originally, the seats could be moved and stored under the stage to open the floor for dances and other functions This monumental structure is unique in its style within Walkerton (Notice of Intention to Designate), 1979, (heritagetrust.on.ca). This building was designed by architect Arthur Richard Denison, Toronto (1856-1924) and was constructed by contractor Henry Clark. "In designing Walkerton's Tonw Hall, Denison incorporated a 'rich' mixture of style influences, such as: Second Empire or Mansard (roof); High Victorian (wrought-iron cresting; Vernacular (an unusual combination of fieldstone and marl brick); and a touch of Baronial Gothic Revival (stair hall extension on north elevation) for good measure. (Cumming, Gordon K., page 14) Building materials included marl brick, clay and local fieldstone (marking the bottom portion of the building). Among the building's distinctive features is the bell which was manufactured in 1870 in Troy, New York. It is approximately 80 feet above the ground. The railing on the balcony bows outward to accommodate the billowing dresses of the early 1900s. Above the main doors is a stain glass window denoting 1897 the year the hall was built. In 2001, additional stain glass windows were installed in the front foyer, to commemorate e-coli water crisis of 2000, as the Hall served as the community response centre and Ontario Government headquarters in Walkerton for 18 months at that time. Although proceeds from a concert at the time of building's opening were to go towards purchasing glass-covered faces for a clock in the tower, the clock windows sat empty for 109 years until 2006, when clocks were installed in the four windows of the bell tower. (http://www.vjhall.on.ca/. Three generations of caretakers resided in the building, using the top floor, and two rooms on the ground floor, from 1904-1972: Police Chief R.B. Ferguson, Chief John E. Ferguson, and Grace (Ferguson) Wood. In 1972, the caretaker living quarters were converted into Municipal Offices. In 1979, Walkerton Town Council designated Victoria Jubilee Hall as a building of architectural and historic significance under the Ontario Heritage Act. In 1996, the Municipal Council and the Town Clerk's office moved from the building to rental quarters. By 1997, after the Municipality ceased to use the building for municipal offices, the hall struggled with operational challenges and costly repairs, but community volunteers worked hard to save the hall and build a partnership with the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario ("ACO"). The hall has gone through various phases of renovations since 1997. The Jubilee Garden, with gazebo surrounded by roses, was initiated in 2002 as As Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Golden Jubilee. As of 2022, the Jubilee Hall is held in trust for the community by the South Bruce-Grey branch of the ACO and is part of a network of similar buildings across the province. Under the umbrella of the ACO, the hall continues to be operated by many volunteers. Sources: Cumming, Gordon K. "Victoria Jubilee Hall: A Restoration Study." Walkerton: Heritage Walkerton, 1981. Ontario Heritage Trust, https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/en/oha/basic-search. Accessed November 15, 2022. Victoria Jubilee Hall History, http://www.vjhall.on.ca/. Accessed November 15, 2022. Zettel, Robin. "Celebrating 125 years at Victoria Jubilee Hall." Historical Notes 2023 Yearbook Edition." Bruce County Historical Society, 2022, pages 70-78] |
