Recognized Federal Heritage Building

Royal Military College of Canada Building 2

Kingston, Ontario

Also known as Gatehouse 1, Corps de garde 1

Façade of RMC Building 2, showing the complementary dressed and roughened stone surfaces, 1993.

Façade of RMC Building 2, showing the complementary dressed and roughened stone surfaces, 1993.

Photo: Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 1993.

Built
1884
Recognized
1994
By
Government of Canada

The register’s text, word for word

Description

Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Building 2, also known as Gatehouse 1, located alongside Highway 2, sits within the Point Frederick Buildings National Historic Site of Canada, a larger landscaped complex. It is a small, stone building with a gable roof and a central gable on the front and the rear. A small, fully enclosed entry porch defines the main entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage value

RMC Building 2 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value

RMC Building 2, among the earliest constructions at Royal Military College (RMC), is closely associated with the formative years of the RMC after its founding in 1874 at Point Frederick, site of a fortified naval establishment and dockyard. The College was Canada’s first officer training facility.

Architectural Value

RMC Building 2 is a very good, representative example of early 19th-century vernacular architecture in Ontario. Typically, it has a center-hall plan and staircase. Its very good craftsmanship is evidenced in the two complementary stone treatments, including the smooth-dressed ashlar blocks and the rough-surfaced random ashlar wall surfaces, as well as the wooden details in the doors and window treatment.

Environmental Value

RMC Building 2 is compatible with the character of its picturesque landscape setting at Royal Military College and is a well-known building in the area.

SourceJoan Mattie, Gatehouses 1 and 2, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report 93-099;Gatehouse 1, Building 2, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 93-099.

Character‑defining elements

The character-defining elements of RMC Building 2 should be respected.

Its early 19th-century vernacular design, and very good craftsmanship, for example:

  • the house-form, stone clad, gable-roofed block with a central gable on both the front and the rear and the end chimneys;
  • the complementary dressed and roughened stone surfaces;
  • the surviving wooden details of the doors, window sash, fascia and eaves.

The manner in which RMC Building 2 is compatible with the character of its institutional setting at Royal Military College and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by:

  • its scale and materials which are compatible with the adjacent structures within the college campus;
  • the picturesque qualities of its design and form which complement a domestic garden, picket fence and mature trees as part of a larger landscaped complex;
  • its visibility from the highway and on the grounds vis-à-vis its pivotal location.

End of the register’s text

Location

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

44.23500° N, 76.47020° W

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Nearby

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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.