Colonial Building
Encyclopedia
Colonial 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.
In 1832 when the Colony of Newfoundland governed itself by representative government there was not a formal building assigned to house the legislature
. The first home of the Legislature was a tavern
and lodging house
owned and operated by a Mrs. Travers. The stay was brief as in the legislature's haste and inexperience it forgot to vote approval for the funds to pay rent. For the next seventeen years they would meet in various temporary quarters. In 1846 an act was approved authorizing the construction of a Colonial Building as a permanent home.
On May 24, 1847 the cornerstone was laid by the Governor, Major-General Sir John Gaspar LeMarchant. The official opening of the Colonial Building took place on January 28, 1850 by Governor Lemarchant for the second session of the House's fourth general assembly.
James Purcell was the main architect and Patrick Keough was the contractor. Colonial Building, built in the style of neoclassical
was constructed of white limestone
specially imported from Cork
, Ireland
. The facade
features a massive portico
consisting of six ionic columns supporting an entablature
triangular pediment
. The pediment is decorated with the Royal Arms
sculpted in deep relief. The interior hall is screened with ionic columns supporting a quadrangular lantern dome. the two legislative chambers, each with a ceiling height of twenty eight feet, are decorated with corinthian
pilasters. The whole structure was built at a cost of £18,335.
In 1880 Alexander Pindikowski, a Polish
fresco
painter, then serving a 15-month prison sentence for forgery
received a one-month reduction in his sentence for the immaculate fresco painting work he completed at both Colonial Building and Government House
.
Worthy of note is the fact that the governing party had chosen to sit on the left side of the House of Assembly
as opposed to the traditional right side of the speaker because that's where the heaters were located, and it was the warmest part of the house. To this day the ruling party of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
continue to sit on the left side of the speaker of the house.
was given Newfoundland in 1855. It was at this building that Newfoundland entered in the Commission of Government
in 1934 and the location of the Newfoundland National Convention
from 1946–1948 then in 1949 when Newfoundland entered into Confederation
with Canada.
It was also the site of a number of political riots and disturbances. One of those was the public protest on April 5, 1932 for maladministration and corruption in government when all the windows were broken, doors smashed and furniture destroyed, which cost $10,000 to repair. The Prime Minister
, Sir Richard Squires
, barely escaped the building at that time.
The building was also the site of Newfoundland's first bank robbery, in 1850. Located in the basement of the Colonial Building was the Newfoundland Savings Bank and it was robbed of £413.
On July 28, 1959 the provincial legislature had its last working session in the building before relocating to the newly completed Confederation Building on Prince Philip Drive.
(MANL), the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives (ANLA), and The Newfoundland Historical Society.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
government and the House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
from January 28, 1850 to July 28, 1959. In 1974 it was declared a Provincial Historic Site.
In 1832 when the Colony of Newfoundland governed itself by representative government there was not a formal building assigned to house the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. The first home of the Legislature was a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
and lodging house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
owned and operated by a Mrs. Travers. The stay was brief as in the legislature's haste and inexperience it forgot to vote approval for the funds to pay rent. For the next seventeen years they would meet in various temporary quarters. In 1846 an act was approved authorizing the construction of a Colonial Building as a permanent home.
On May 24, 1847 the cornerstone was laid by the Governor, Major-General Sir John Gaspar LeMarchant. The official opening of the Colonial Building took place on January 28, 1850 by Governor Lemarchant for the second session of the House's fourth general assembly.
Construction
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
was constructed of white limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
specially imported from Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
features a massive portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
consisting of six ionic columns supporting an entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
triangular pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The pediment is decorated with the Royal Arms
Coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador
The coat of arms of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador was originally granted by King Charles I of England on 13 November 1638-History:...
sculpted in deep relief. The interior hall is screened with ionic columns supporting a quadrangular lantern dome. the two legislative chambers, each with a ceiling height of twenty eight feet, are decorated with corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
pilasters. The whole structure was built at a cost of £18,335.
In 1880 Alexander Pindikowski, a Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
painter, then serving a 15-month prison sentence for forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
received a one-month reduction in his sentence for the immaculate fresco painting work he completed at both Colonial Building and Government House
Government 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...
.
Worthy of note is the fact that the governing party had chosen to sit on the left side of the House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
as opposed to the traditional right side of the speaker because that's where the heaters were located, and it was the warmest part of the house. To this day the ruling party of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
continue to sit on the left side of the speaker of the house.
Historic events
It was the site where responsible governmentResponsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
was given Newfoundland in 1855. It was at this building that Newfoundland entered in the Commission of Government
Commission of Government
The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949...
in 1934 and the location of the Newfoundland National Convention
Newfoundland National Convention
The Newfoundland National Convention of 1946 was a forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland-Nominations:On 11 December 1945 the Government of Britain announced that there would be an election to a National Convention, which would debate constitutional options and make a...
from 1946–1948 then in 1949 when Newfoundland entered into Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
with Canada.
It was also the site of a number of political riots and disturbances. One of those was the public protest on April 5, 1932 for maladministration and corruption in government when all the windows were broken, doors smashed and furniture destroyed, which cost $10,000 to repair. The Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Sir Richard Squires
Richard Squires
Sir Richard Anderson Squires KCMG was the Prime Minister of Newfoundland from 1919 to 1923 and from 1928 to 1932.-Early career:...
, barely escaped the building at that time.
The building was also the site of Newfoundland's first bank robbery, in 1850. Located in the basement of the Colonial Building was the Newfoundland Savings Bank and it was robbed of £413.
On July 28, 1959 the provincial legislature had its last working session in the building before relocating to the newly completed Confederation Building on Prince Philip Drive.
Current tenants
The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation currently has its Provincial Historic Sites of Newfoundland and Labrador offices located in the Colonial Building. Since late-2005, there are also three other non-profit organizations operating from the Colonial Building, including the Museum Association of Newfoundland and LabradorMuseum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit, charitable organization representing institutions and individuals interested in the preservation and promotion of Newfoundland and Labrador's material and cultural heritage...
(MANL), the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives (ANLA), and The Newfoundland Historical Society.