The Ladysmith Town Hall at 410 Esplanade Avenue was built in 1951-52 by architect Thomas B. McArravy.
The Ladysmith Town Hall at 410 Esplanade was added to the Ladysmith Community Heritage Registry in 2017.
Here is a map showing the location of 410 Esplanade Avenue:
Here is a Google Street View image of 410 Esplanade Avenue:
Description of Historic Place
Ladysmith Town Hall is a one-storey, International style building located at an intersection of the main highway that runs through Ladysmith, British Columbia. The historic place is confined to the
building footprint.
From 1917 to the opening of this building in 1952, civic business was conducted from a converted hotel on this site. The purpose-built Town Hall represents the maturation and modernization of the
municipal government and, by extension, the City as a whole.
Built in 1951-52, Town Hall is an excellent, early example of the International style in Ladysmith. New and fresh, the style was appropriate for a municipality trying to project progress and modernity in the post-war boom years. The building is substantially intact.
Ladysmith Town Hall is significant for its association with architect Thomas B. McArravy. One of the pioneers of the use of modernism on Vancouver Island, McArravy was a prominent architect for many years. His known credits include Nanaimo City Hall, Nanaimo Library (Fitzwilliam Street, Nanaimo) and Tom Brown Auto Body (Front Street, Nanaimo). Ladysmith Town Hall has survived in near pristine condition, a testament to the integrity of the original
design and McArravy’s skill.
The building is a highly visible landmark on a busy highway.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Ladysmith Town Hall include:
- – all of the elements of a modest International style building including the clean horizontal form and plain detailing, concrete construction, flat roof, symmetrical façade with two projecting bays and inset entrances at both corners, abundant windows and louvered detailing below front central windows
- – the building’s location on a major highway