Province House (Prince Edward Island)

The cornerstone was laid in May 1843 and the building commenced operation for the first time in January 1847. The entire structure was built for a cost of £10,000 and was designed by Isaac Smith. Smith was a self-trained architect from Yorkshire, who also designed the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. It was built by Island craftsmen during a time of prosperity for the colony. Its architectural lines include Greek and Roman influences, common to public buildings in North America built during this era.

From September 1–7, 1864, Province House had an important role in helping Prince Edward Island host the Charlottetown Conference which resulted in Canadian Confederation.

In 1973, Parks Canada approached the government of Prince Edward Island with a proposal for joint management and restoration of the structure in recognition of its important role in Canadian history. Under the ensuing agreement, both parties agreed to a 99-year period of joint management. Parks Canada paid for a C$3.5 million restoration from 1979–1983 which involved part of the building being restored to the 1864 period. The provincial legislature occupies one end of the building, whereas the restored Confederation Chamber displays the room where the Charlottetown Conference meetings occurred.

File:Confederation Chamber within Province House PEI.jpg

On April 20, 1995, a powerful pipe bomb exploded beneath a wooden wheelchair ramp on the north side of Province House, destroying glass in windows and causing some minor structural damage. Several passersby were injured and the explosion occurred only five minutes after an entire class of school children on a tour of the building had passed through the area. The bombing occurred only one day after the Oklahoma City bombing and is considered to be a copycat action. Responsibility was claimed by a group calling itself Loki 7; however, a subsequent police investigation and criminal court case blamed a single individual, Roger Charles Bell.

Province House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1973.{{CRHP|5441|Province House National Historic Site of Canada|26 September 2011}} It is one of only three provincial legislative buildings, along with Province House in Halifax and the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina, to be so designated. Province House is also designated under the provincial Heritage Places Protection Act.{{CRHP|1617|Province House|16 March 2013}}

Visitors can tour the 1860s period rooms, which include displays about the Charlottetown Conference, the building and the Provincial Legislative Assembly. An audio-visual presentation about the Conference is available, titled "A Great Dream".

In 2015, Province House was closed for repairs and conservation work, expected to take several years, with the legislature moved to the adjacent Hon. George Coles Building.{{cite web|url=http://www.assembly.pe.ca/visitorinfo| title=Visitor Information| website=Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island| access-date=2017-02-20| quote=The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island is located in the Hon. George Coles Building at 175 Richmond Street in Charlottetown…Beginning January 1, 2015, Province House National Historic Site will be closed for 3-5 years for extensive conservation work.| df=dmy-all}} Parks Canada confirmed in May 2023 that repairs had been delayed, and it would not reopen that year as planned.{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/05/08/parks-canada-renovations-to-historic-pei-legislature-taking-longer-than-expected.html| title=Parks Canada: Renovations to historic P.E.I. legislature taking longer than expected| newspaper=Toronto Star| agency=The Canadian Press| date=8 May 2023| accessdate=8 May 2023| url-access=subscription}} The work was to replace outdated mechanical systems, address accessibility, and restore interior finishes. Through mid 2023, costs for the project stood at C$91.8 million dollars with work still incomplete.{{cite news| title=Another delay in Province House renovations and repairs| url=https://www.ocean100.com/2023/05/09/another-delay-in-province-house-renovations-and-repairs/| date=9 May 2023| work=Ocean News| access-date=20 November 2024}} In November 2023, Charlottetown MP Sean Casey announced an additional C$46 million which was expected to complete the last two phases of construction. This brought the total cost of the project to C$138 million.{{cite news| title=Another $46M to be spent on last 2 phases of Province House conservation| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-province-house-conservation-project-1.7029247| work=CBC News| date=15 November 2023| access-date=20 November 2024}}

When Province House closed, the nearby Confederation Centre of the Arts opened a replica of the Confederation Chamber to allow visitors and students to experience the room. The Centre announced October 2, 2024, that the replica would close October 31 to allow some items to move back for the reopening of the original chamber in 2025. During the time it was open, the replica has hosted 160,000 guests.{{cite press release| title=Confederation Chamber Replica closing to prepare for Province House reopening| url=https://confederationcentre.com/confederation-chamber-replica-closure/| date=2 October 2024| publisher=Confederation Centre of the Arts| access-date=20 November 2024}}

In front of the Grafton Street entrance is the Charlottetown Veterans Memorial which depicts three soldiers. The bronze memorial by G. W. Hill commemorated the dead from the World War I and was dedicated 16 July 1925. Later inscriptions were added for World War II and the Korean War.{{cite web| title=Soldiers’ Monument| url=https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/954| website=Veterans Affairs Canada| date=6 June 2024| access-date=20 November 2024}} In 2014, an additional inscription was added to commemorate those lost in the Afghanistan War.{{cite web| title=Prince Edward Island War Memorial| url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=80280| website=Historical Marker Database| date=15 October 2019}}

A Boer War Memorial by Hamilton MacCarthy was erected to honour the members of the Royal Canadian Regiment on the side of legislature.

A series of plaques commemorating the province's Fathers of Confederation are found along the northeast side of the building:

• Edward Whelan
• Thomas Heath Haviland
• Edward Palmer
• John Hamilton Gray
• Andrew Archibald Macdonald
• William Henry Pope
• George Coles

A small statue of Eckhart the Mouse from David Weale's children's story The True Meaning of Crumbfest is also located on the grounds of legislature. It was one of nine such statues placed around the city in 2009 to encourage students to explore historic sites in the area.{{cite news| title=Fictional mouse banished from church grounds| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/fictional-mouse-banished-from-church-grounds-1.825277| work=CBC News| date=27 November 2009}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Province House, Prince Edward Island|Province House}}

• {{Official website|https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/pe/provincehouse|Province House National Historic Site of Canada - official website}}
• [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/province-house-charlottetown Province House, Charlottetown] at the Canadian Encyclopedia

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{{Prince Edward Island parks}}

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Category:Buildings and structures in Charlottetown

Category:Greek Revival architecture in Canada

Category:Legislative buildings in Canada

Category:National Historic Sites in Prince Edward Island

Category:Museums in Prince Edward Island

Category:History museums in Canada

Category:General Assembly of Prince Edward Island

Category:Terminating vistas in Canada

Category:Government buildings completed in 1847

Category:1847 establishments in Prince Edward Island

Category:Monuments and memorials in Prince Edward Island

Category:Historic buildings and structures in Prince Edward Island