Originally
constructed in 1891, the sandstone building at 337 Water St.
was built by the federal government to house the Post Office and Customs & Excise.
Its real significance is that it is a Thomas Fuller building. Thomas Fuller
was the Chief Dominion Architect at the time when the Federal Government was in the process of creating a strong presence
by erecting impressive federal office buildings in many communities across the country.
Building sites were chosen
for their prominence within the community’s business districts. Using local
materials, the buildings were stylistically a blend of High Victorian Gothic, the Second Empire
style and Richardsonian Romanesque.
Influenced by the design
trends of the day, the annex portion of the building was constructed in the sixties.
Of the seventy four Fuller
Post Office Buildings erected across the country only thirty one are still standing.
Many have been given the historical designation by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, who still maintain an inventory
of the buildings and their uses. The significance of this building to the community
cannot be understated.
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