Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith P.
I believe the caption is wrong. The Navy used the building on the upper right of the pic. The building in the center was Imperial Oil offices originally.
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As Keith says, the building that stood on the northwest corner of Barrington and South -- now 5217 South Street -- was the site of the eastern command of the RCAF and, later, the joint navy-air force Canadian Northwest Atlantic Command, during WWII, according to the
Halifax Military Heritage and Preservation Society. Before that it was the site of the Sailors Home and Navy League.
According to the
Halifax South heritage district plan, the current building at 1190 Barrington Street was built circa 1986, which is clearly wrong, as Mark's photos (and the memories of us oldtimers) can attest. It's been there as long as I can recall, which would be early 60s, and for many years it carried the Imperial Oil Limited sign above the door (faintly visible in Mark's last photo). According to the plan document, Imperial Oil owned the property from 1939 until 1971, after which it was acquired by One Sackville Place Ltd., a.k.a. Ralph Medjuck. It's quite possible Imperial remained a tenant there for some time.
I found it amusing that the heritage plan's author, apparently believing this is a 1980's building, suggests that it "is constructed of historic looking materials. This includes antiqued bricking and single-hung 'factory' windows, which complements the historic buildings along the surrounding streetscapes. In addition the material includes concrete with distressed texture to give the appearance of historic sandstone."
I have also found this to be an attractive mid-20th century structure and I'll miss it. It points out the subjective nature of historical preservation. At what age or at whose conception of significance does a building become worthy of conservation? It disappoints me how many structures of commercial and industrial significance have been lost in this province with nary a whimper from heritage advocates, even as they fight to protect vacant lots from the scourge of high buildings.