55 Lower Malpeque Road / Pumping Station

The heritage value of the Pumping Station lies in its role in the history of the development of Charlottetown's clean water supply.

The 13 October 1903 edition of the Daily Examiner newspaper reported that the new Water Pumping Station had been opened on the Lower Malpeque Road. The City's first pumping station was the Charlottetown Water Works on the Malpeque Road. As water consumption by city residents increased it was deemed necessary to construct an auxiliary pumping station below Gates Pond. The Pumping Station was in operation for a number of years, however it was later declared surplus by the Commissioners of Water Supply.

It is unclear who designed the structure but it is possibly the design of Boston engineer Marshall Martain Tidd (1827-1895). Tidd was involved in a number of waterworks projects including the Charlottetown Water Works building constructed in 1888 and 1889.

The brick building is no longer used, but it is in relatively good condition with its slate roof and red brick exterior. The building is located on a slope of land which is almost park like in nature. It is among a variety of trees dedicated to various provinces. The Pumping Station is a reminder of the City of Charlottetown's growth and its 19th Century achievement of clean piped water. The building remains a good example of a pumping station from the turn of the century.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2

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