Recognized Federal Heritage Building

Cornwall Armoury

Cornwall, Ontario

Corner view of the Cornwall Armoury, showing the buff-coloured brick and the corner towers, 1994.

Corner view of the Cornwall Armoury, showing the buff-coloured brick and the corner towers, 1994.

Photo: Department of Public Works / Ministère des Travaux publics, 1994.

Built
1938–1939
Recognized
1996
By
Government of Canada

The register’s text, word for word

Description

Cornwall Armoury is located on generous, flat grounds consisting of a front lawn and mature trees. Constructed of a buff-coloured brick with stone trim, the Cornwall Armoury has a central, crenellated frontispiece and corner towers. Towers also flank the twin troop doors leading to the large drill hall. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage value

The Cornwall Armoury is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value

The Cornwall Armoury is associated with the expanding requirements of Canada’s militia between the First and Second World Wars. The Cornwall Armoury makes a significant contribution to the city, housing various militia groups such as the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Militia Unit, the SD&G Cadet Corps, the Stormont Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, Cornwall Cadet Squadron, the Canadian Forces Air Traffic Control Training Unit, and the RSS Central Detachment Cornwall.

Architectural Value

The Cornwall Armoury is a good example of a military structure with a façade that features references to the Tudor Revival style. A key element is the large, clear-span volume of the drill hall. The conservative exterior surrounds a modern structural design with a concrete floor supporting a steel frame. The Cornwall Armoury was also designed to a standard plan and is distinguished by a picturesque use of materials and good craftsmanship.

Environmental Value

The Cornwall Armoury is compatible with the present commercial character of the downtown setting and is familiar to town residents, to visitors and to those using Fourth Street East.

SourceCornwall Armoury, 505 Fourth Street, East, Cornwall, Ontario, Heritage Buildings Review Office Screening Notes 94-073; Cornwall Armoury, 505 Fourth Street, East, Cornwall, Ontario, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 94-073.

Character‑defining elements

The following character-defining elements of the Cornwall Armoury should be respected.

Its standard design with Tudor Revival influences, good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example:

-the large, symmetrical massing of the principal two-storey façade;

-the crenellated towers flanking the central, tudor-arched, twin troop doors and corner towers;

-the buff-coloured brick façade with regularly spaced windows, the stone stringcourses, copings and crenellations;

-the exposed steel trusses and the uninterrupted volume of the drill hall;

-the flat-roofed ancillary blocks surrounding the drill hall.

The manner in which the Cornwall Armoury is compatible with the present commercial character of the downtown setting in Cornwall and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by:

-its large scale, distinctive design and picturesque use of materials which contribute to the surrounding streetscape;

-the grassed ground plain, the drill field and the mature trees which reinforce the importance of the building;

-its high visibility and familiarity as a landmark to those in the downtown core and travelling along Fourth Street East.

End of the register’s text

Location

505 4th Street East, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

45.02533° N, 74.71914° W

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Nearby

All 4 places in Cornwall

Similar places

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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.