Description of Historic Place

The Former Hospital Administration Building is the principle structure in Mann’s Bastion. It is an attractive two-storey, rectangular, symmetrical stone structure with a hipped-roof pierced by two brick chimneys. The west-facing facade features restrained Neoclassical decorative detailing of pilaster strips supporting a flat cornice along the length of the five bay façade. Loopholes are visible on the second-floor on both sides of the building. The rear elevation facing into the bastion is functional and plain in appearance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Former Hospital Administration Building is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations and architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Former Hospital Administration Building is a useful example of a structure associated with the theme of the defence of Canada from the military threat of the United States. The Former Hospital Administration Building is one of the oldest military hospital buildings in Canada. Its original construction, the subsequent economic benefits and the resulting influx of personnel had a significant impact on Quebec. It is currently the administrative centre of the Royal 22nd Regiment.

Architectural Value:
The Former Hospital Administration Building is an excellent example of a specialized defensive military structure adapted for use as a hospital. Features such as the bombproof walls illustrate the need to withstand bombardment; its specialized features, construction techniques and its use of materials express its very good functional design. It exhibits very good quality work and craftsmanship with solidly built interior spaces.

Environmental Value:
As an integral component of the Citadel of Quebec, the site of the Former Hospital Administration Building, though changed, has retained its character. The building reinforces the present character of the coastal defence and military setting of the Citadel and is well known to residents of the Citadel.

Sources:
Rhona Goodspeed, Québec Citadel, Québec, Québec. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 88-161
Ancien Hopital (batiment no.1), Etat-major du Royal 22e Regiment, La Citadelle, Québec. Heritage Character Statement 88-161

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Former Hospital Administration Building should be respected, for example:

Its functional military defence design and good quality materials and craftsmanship as evidenced in
The simple, plain rectangular two-storey massing. The hipped roof pierced by two brick chimneys. The front elevation facing the citadel decorated by pilaster strips, and the flat cornice along the length of the five bay façade. The high quality of the limestone stonework. The loopholes and the regular, symmetrical windows. The functional, plain east elevation. The Neoclassical details of the main entrance to the building. The solidly built interior spaces, the five huge barrel vaults forming the ceiling of the second floor.

The manner in which the Former Hospital Administration Building reinforces the military character of the Citadel of Québec.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Former Hospital was constructed in 1848 by master mason, contractor and architect Archibald Fraser. Fraser’s signature does not, however, appear on the plans. The building may have been designed by the Royal Engineers. In the 1930s, the building ceased being used as a hospital. It was then altered to meet the administrative needs of the Royal 22e Régiment; other renovations were carried out in 1950. Some of the more significant changes were the removal of the rear wing that housed the privies and the morgue, and removal of most of the construction related to the building’s use as a hospital. The Administration Building of the Royal 22e Régiment is located in Mann’s Bastion across from the parade ground. It is part of the Citadel of Québec, a National Historic Site. The building is owned by the Department of National Defence. See FHBRO Report 88-161.

Reasons for Designation

The Administration Building of the Royal 22e Régiment has been designated “Classified” because of its historical significance, its fine architectural qualities and its environmental significance.

The Former Hospital is associated with the defence of British North America during the period in which the Citadel was completed (1839-1857) to counter the constant threat of invasion by the United States. It may be the oldest building still standing in Canada that was built specifically as a military hospital.

Because of its neoclassical-inspired decoration, the Former Hospital is considered one of the most elegant buildings in the Citadel. It also has one of the best-preserved facades. Designed before the discovery of the germ theory of disease, the interior of the building was set up to treat disease according to the miasma theory, which held that disease traveled in damp or enclosed air. All the rooms extended the full width of the building and had two big windows on each side, ensuring excellent ventilation.

Built in a prime location along the parade ground facing the Dalhousie Gate, Building No. 1 is one of the most visible buildings at the Citadel. It and the neighbouring buildings constitute a fine architectural grouping.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of the Former Hospital resides in its architectural form, its neoclassical-inspired decoration and the building materials and construction techniques used. It also resides in the layout of the spaces and the type of fenestration, which reflect mid-19th-century understanding of the spread of disease.

The Former Hospital is an imposing rectangular, two-storey, solid masonry building. The copper-clad hipped roof with batten seams is pierced by two stone chimney stacks. The neoclassical appearance of the building comes from the symmetrical composition, the pilasters dividing the facade into five bays, the porch with its broken pediment supported on two pilasters, and the linear treatment of the walls. The composition of the other walls is symmetrical, but the only ornaments are built-up corners and a flat cornice that runs around the building. The annex, which replaced the old wing, blends in because it is faced in limestone similar to the stone used on the rear wall of the main building, which is rougher than the stone on the other elevations.

This architectural treatment should be respected as a whole. Replacement stones should be chosen to blend in seamlessly with the material of the existing walls. The latter includes finely dressed Pointe-aux-Trembles stone on the front and side elevations and Cap-Rouge limestone on the rear wall. The many multi-pane windows that play a major role in the composition of this building should be preserved, because they are associated with the belief held in the mid-19th century that disease traveled in damp, enclosed spaces. Reverting to wood windows would be in line with the materials of the period. The entrance door could also be moved back to its original location on the side of the porch so as to reintegrate the beautiful three-light window, planned by the designer, beneath the glass transom.

The vertical windows placed evenly across the front and back elevations (filled-in loopholes) recall the defensive function of the building. The compartmentalization of the interior spaces and the use of thick walls and vaults show that the designer was concerned about ensuring that the building was bomb-proof. It is recommended that these functional and structural features related to the original defensive function be preserved. Further, all elements still in place which relate to the former medical use of the building should be identified and preserved.

The relationship between the Former Hospital and Mann’s Bastion, the parade ground and the neighbouring buildings is an integral part of the building’s heritage character. It is therefore desirable that this environment not be altered by building additions or new buildings. The stone curbs should also be preserved, and outdoor furnishings incompatible with the military character of the site should not be introduced.