Historic Halifax

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by JET

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion...torations-dies

https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...not-forgotten/

[JET]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...not-forgotten/

Thanks for posting that Mark, Hal did my house.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by JET

Thanks for posting that Mark, Hal did my house.

Wow, I had no idea. From what I've seen on the internet, his work was impeccable and really made a difference to the buildings he worked on. A huge loss to our city.

[JET]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Wow, I had no idea. From what I've seen on the internet, his work was impeccable and really made a difference to the buildings he worked on. A huge loss to our city.

http://www.htns.ca/pdf_Griffin/GRIFFIN.dec.2013.C.pdf
Page 12

[OldDartmouthMark]

[JET]

I heard a news story on CBC radio yesterday morning that the owner of a historic cottage on Tower road has put in a request to deregister, the window is that after three years he can demolish. It's a nice streetscape on the east side of Tower Road.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I heard that too, but couldn't find a story about it in "print".

[OldDartmouthMark]

Discovering the secret city from the 1700s under Halifax

Citadel Hill was constructed as a strategic fortification in the city’s defence complex during the days of British North America.

The Hill was first built and fortified in 1749 when the English founded the town of Halifax. In the same year, a wall was built protecting 2,000 settlers behind it.

“The British built what’s called a palisade around these blocks that survive today in downtown Halifax,” said historian David Jones.

The wall wrapped around most of what we call the city’s downtown today, and featured five forts with 200 soldiers posted at each.

The wall was taken down in the 1760s. Jones believes there is still physical evidence of the wall lying just beneath Haligonians feet.

“The archeological community in Halifax is hopeful that traces of these fortifications, and the walls, could be found,” said Jones. “We’re starting by looking at old maps and talking to people who work in the city.”

On Sunday, May 5, at 1:30 p.m., Jones is meeting with a group of local historians at Saint Mary’s Basilica and leading a walk around where the historic wall once stood in Halifax’s downtown.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Also:
Halifax's historic forts to be featured in Jane's Walk this weekend

In an interview with Howe last November, Saint Mary's University archaeologist Dr. Jonathan Fowler said the wall, built in 1749, was made of pickets, which are basically small tree trunks sunk into the ground.

"There was no Halifax Citadel in those days, it was just a hill," Fowler explained. "So they chopped down the trees around it and they build these five little forts at intervals around the back side of the town in a crescent shape and then they connected the forts with a wooden wall. That was the first defensive ring of early Halifax."

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That used to be a Dominion Store until they pulled out and the NSLC took over the space. The store is pretty shabby and the area deserves that something be done to that property. With the neighborhood on the way up that is too big a site for the building owner to ignore.

Today marks the last edition of the Chronicle Herald to emanate from their building on Argyle. Here is an interesting pic they posted of the building in 1950:




I love the sign on the roof but even more interesting are the old structures across the street (construction fences in front -- perhaps its about to come down) and adjacent. I am a bit stumped by the old building in the middle of the block next to the Herald because I always thought that the old Argyle Garage was next to it (the story mentions the garage, which was at the corner across from the Carleton -- it operated as a parkade and gas station until the late 60s). I also find this pic interesting because the existing international style of that side of the Herald Building was obviously just a cosmetic refresh only and not original. The original building looks pretty basic.

.

Holy bringing an old (2008) post out of the dust, Batman!

I found this thread looking for info on the old Herald building. I'm a little perplexed as well, since the photo you posted from 1950 should coincide with this photo from the NS archives, except the caption says the pic is from 1928 and the house is being torn down to make way for a large garage (which should have been there by 1950...).



Caption:

Dr. Almon's stone house was built at the corner of Argyle and Prince streets, Haifax, in about 1812.

After Dr. Almon's death in 1817, the house became the residence of his son Dr. William Bruce Almon. It eventually became a boarding house called "The Central House". The building was demolished in May 1928 and a large garage was erected on the site.

Date: 10 May 1928

Curiously, the sign on the house being torn down reads "Robertson Motors Ltd.", which would confirm the continued automotive usage. One would surmise that the large parking garage structure, which housed a service station on its bottom level, and eventually became part of the Herald Building, was built at a later date, likely later in the 1950s or early 1960s as it's still looking relatively fresh in these pics (though the sidewalk isn't)...









From Halifax Municipal Archives, record details: 1676 Argyle St. [Argyle Building Ltd.]
Retrieval code: 102-39-1-476
[196-?]

File consists of a series of images of the Argyle Building Ltd. parking garage and service centre. A sign for Quaker State Motor Oil, Maple Leaf Co-op Taxi, Ives Engraving, plus an Eastern Transport truck, and the steeple of Saint Mary's Basilica all can be seen in the photos.

[ILoveHalifax]

That fence across the street from the Herald Office was not a construction fence. It was there for years and years just to fence of the property and the billboard was there all that time. As a id we moved away in 57 and it was there until then as far as I can remember. My grandfather worked at the Herald so I can remember visiting him while at work several times

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Holy bringing an old (2008) post out of the dust, Batman!

I found this thread looking for info on the old Herald building. I'm a little perplexed as well, since the photo you posted from 1950 should coincide with this photo from the NS archives, except the caption says the pic is from 1928 and the house is being torn down to make way for a large garage (which should have been there by 1950...).

Curiously, the sign on the house being torn down reads "Robertson Motors Ltd.", which would confirm the continued automotive usage. One would surmise that the large parking garage structure, which housed a service station on its bottom level, and eventually became part of the Herald Building, was built at a later date, likely later in the 1950s or early 1960s as it's still looking relatively fresh in these pics (though the sidewalk isn't)...

I thought I was hallucinating when I saw myself being quoted on something I had no memory of posting!

I think part of the inconsistency here is that the Robertson Motors building was clearly on the corner, whereas the similar-looking building in the 1950 Herald picture is not on the corner but immediately adjacent to the original Herald building. Two different but similar structures.

In the later photos of the Argyle Garage and re-clad Herald building it is good to see that the long-term empty lot on the corner of Sackville by then had become the rather handsome Canada Permanent building.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I thought I was hallucinating when I saw myself being quoted on something I had no memory of posting!

I think part of the inconsistency here is that the Robertson Motors building was clearly on the corner, whereas the similar-looking building in the 1950 Herald picture is not on the corner but immediately adjacent to the original Herald building. Two different but similar structures.

In the later photos of the Argyle Garage and re-clad Herald building it is good to see that the long-term empty lot on the corner of Sackville by then had become the rather handsome Canada Permanent building.

LOL... I hesitated to reply to a post that was 11 years old and in a forum not really on topic for yet another 'old Halifax' post, but was intrigued by the photo. Also, sorry for messing with your head a little...

I understand that they are not the same building, but are on the same block and of a similar style (and thus probably built around the same time). I was perplexed a little as the 'garage' alluded to in the archives isn't really visible, and it's not clear what type of garage was built, but clearly it isn't the large parking/garage structure in the later photo. Not sure what it proves, though, other than the parking garage structure was built after 1950 (if, in fact the Herald labeled their photo correctly - the cars are 1930s/40s, so probably close).

Regarding the fence, here are a couple of photos that coincide with ILoveHalifax's comments. They are dated 1958-60, and are from the Municipal Archives.

Looking at the pics, it's almost hard to believe that this is the same space now occupied by the Canada Permanent building and Durty Nelly's pub (on that end). The second photo shows what appears to be fire damage on the roof, so this pic is probably just before it was torn down to build the newer structure.

Also curious about the large smoke stack, which looks like it should be attached to some industrial facility, but none of the buildings look like they would house such a facility...







BTW, sorry for the thread derail!

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Regarding the fence, here are a couple of photos that coincide with ILoveHalifax's comments. They are dated 1958-60, and are from the Municipal Archives.

Looking at the pics, it's almost hard to believe that this is the same space now occupied by the Canada Permanent building and Durty Nelly's pub (on that end). The second photo shows what appears to be fire damage on the roof, so this pic is probably just before it was torn down to build the newer structure.

Also curious about the large smoke stack, which looks like it should be attached to some industrial facility, but none of the buildings look like they would house such a facility...

The huge stack is indeed strange. None of those buildings would appear to have needed something that large. It almost looks like something that would be used for a large central heating plant.

It is interesting to see that Maritime Life apparently had an office on the Sackville St side of the building shown. I thought they had built the now-demolished sandstone-clad building on SGR and Queen in the late '40s and I would have expected to find their operations centralized there. Perhaps my dates are off.

Maybe the mods can move these messages to one of the appropriate threads in the Halifax Photos forum?

[OldDartmouthMark]

I think the Maritime Life building was built mid-1950s? I remember that because it was built in Art Deco, which would have been considered an out of date style by then, and was considered the last Art Deco buildings built in Halifax.

So this must have burnt right around the transition time to the new building?

And yes... it would be great if the mods could move these posts to Old Halifax...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Piling on the derail... remembered this one from April 1956 on the Halifax Muncipal Archives.



Request to mods: would it be possible to move this to the 'Old Halifax' thread in Halifax photos? I could copy/paste myself, but still this would be clogging up the Development Rumours thread (for which I am responsible... sorry! )

[ns_kid]

Thanks for another great image, Mark. That’s an interesting double bill at the Garrick: The Benny Goodman Story, starring Steve Allen, released in February of ‘56, paired with a six-year old Audie Murphy horse opera.

Of course the Garrick — the guts of it, at least, is now Neptune Theatre — so perhaps the only building in the photo still being used for its original purpose.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The huge stack is indeed strange. None of those buildings would appear to have needed something that large. It almost looks like something that would be used for a large central heating plant.

Was that stack and building part of the Moirs factory complex?

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

Was that stack and building part of the Moirs factory complex?

The Moirs factory was a couple of blocks over, just above the Grande Parade on the lot now occupied by the World Trade and Convention Centre.

In this photo from 1975, that's Scotia Square in the background, for location context.



Moirs Ltd. Factory and Warehouse [1820 Argyle St.]
Retrieval code: 102-39-1-1423
1975

Similar location on Google streetside

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Thanks for another great image, Mark. That’s an interesting double bill at the Garrick: The Benny Goodman Story, starring Steve Allen, released in February of ‘56, paired with a six-year old Audie Murphy horse opera.

Of course the Garrick — the guts of it, at least, is now Neptune Theatre — so perhaps the only building in the photo still being used for its original purpose.

I did not know that the guts of the current Neptune still contained the Garrick. I had assumed when the outside was done that it was a completely new building, but admittedly I didn't pay much attention to Halifax building projects back then.

Thanks for the info!