Corner view of Building 501, showing the white painted shingles on the exterior wood-framed walls, 1986.
Photo: Public Works and Government Services Canada / Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada , 1986.
- Built
- 1946
- Recognized
- 1987
- By
- Government of Canada
The register’s text, word for word
Description
Building 501 is located within the self-contained community of Pleasantville on the north shore of Quidi Vidi Lake. It is a long, one-storey, flat-roofed, rectangular garage with low, horizontal massing, a white painted exterior and contrasting darker painted doors. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage value
Building 501 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value
Building 501, as part of the former United States military base of Fort Pepperrell, is closely associated with the Second World War perimeter defence plan. This plan called for strategic continental outposts such as Newfoundland and Jamaica to be armed and fortified to prevent an attack on the United States. The base was vacated by the United States in the 1950s and now owned by the Canadian government.
Architectural Value
Building 501 is a good example of a utilitarian wood frame garage integral to the complex. The structure’s architectural significance lies in its contribution to the overall visual unity of this cohesive group of modernistic buildings.
Environmental Value
Building 501maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and the adjacent structures which reinforces the 1940s character of the military base setting. It is familiar to those who live and work in the area.
SourceJulie Harris, Pleasantville Site (41 Buildings) St. John’s, Newfoundland, Federal Heritage Building Report 86-016; Buildings 102, 202, to 207, 209, 501, 517 and T562, Pleasantville Heritage Character Statement 86-016.
Character‑defining elements
The following character-defining elements of the Building 501 should be respected.
Its aesthetic and good quality materials and workmanship, for example:
- the scale and low massing of the long, rectangular, flat roofed structure;
- the white painted shingles on the exterior wood-framed walls and the size, form and spacing of the darker painted contrasting doors.
The manner in which Building 501 maintains an unchanged relationship to its open site, reinforces the military character of Pleasantville and is familiar to those living and working on the base, as evidenced by:
- its ongoing relationship to its open site and to the adjacent structures;
- the modern plain aesthetic of the utilitarian structure, which harmonizes with the cohesive grouping of the buildings, and creates a strong visual unity on the base;
- the utilitarian nature of the building as a garage that make it a familiar point of reference.
End of the register’s text
Location
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
47.58513° N, 52.69549° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.