The building at 36-42 Bridge Street, commonly known as the Napanee Post Office, is situated at the southeast corner of the intersection between Bridge and John Streets in downtown Napanee. The two-and-a-half-storey building was constructed in 1887 to the designs of architect Thomas Fuller and incorporates architectural elements of both Richardson Romanesque and Victorian Eclecticism design.
The exterior of the building and select interior features, including elements of the stairways, doors, windows and clock tower, are protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement, 1977.
Heritage Value
The Napanee Post Office is a notable work of Thomas Fuller, Canada's Chief Dominion Architect from 1881 to 1896 and a member of the firm that designed the Centre Block of Canada's Parliament Buildings.
The Napanee Post Office is architecturally notable as a combination of Richardson Romanesque and Victorian Eclecticism design and as one of the best surviving works of architect Thomas Fuller. Its octagonal clock tower, decorative stone gables and rusticated red sandstone exterior are among the qualities that make the building memorable, but it is the 50-foot long ell extending to the east of the central block that makes it most unique. This ell was incorporated into plans for the post office and customs house complex to discreetly provide more internal space within the structure without compromising the scale and proportions of the traditional two-and-a-half-storey, five-bay design. Historically, the ground floor of the central block functioned as the post office and the operations of the customs house were limited to the space within the ell. The building continued to function as a post office until 1969 when a new facility was constructed. In 1986 the former post office was renovated for commercial and residential uses.
Character-Defining Elements
Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Napanee Post Office include the:
- location amongst the other heritage structures of the market square area
- sandstone structure in an area characterized by brick and limestone construction
- dominance of the clock tower in the Napanee skyline
- design elements of Thomas Fuller, Canada's Chief Dominion Architect from 1881 to 1896
- existence as one of the 78 federal public buildings constructed during Fuller's term as Chief Dominion Architect
- tasteful blend of Richardson Romanesque and Victorian Eclecticism design
- unconventional building footprint with a main two-and-a-half-storey central block abutted by a single storey ell
- symmetry of the north and west elevations of the central block with the line of symmetry running through the octagonal tower at the northwest corner
- rough-cut, broken range ashlar sandstone of the exterior
- high foundation and heavy voussoirs surrounding all window and door openings
- masonry of the north and west façades, including the massive stone gables, the corbelling at the roofline, the stringcourse above the first storey windows and the projecting entrance bays at the ends opposite the tower
- entrances of the north and west façades, characterized by arched doorways, undersized columnettes and twin doors topped with corresponding quadrant transoms
- window openings on the north and west façades that are flat-arched on the first storey, segmented-arched on the second storey and round-arched in the stone gables at the roofline
- checkerboard pattern in the upper section of the first and second storey windows
- octagonal five-storey tower at the building's northwest corner that contains an arched entranceway and is topped by a cupola with a bell-cast roof
- pavilion roof of the central block clad in sheet metal and punctuated on the east side with a dormer containing three small flat-headed windows
- interior newel posts, balusters, handrail and paneling of the stairways
- architrave, paneled doors and tympanum of the interior doorways
- architrave of the window on the second floor landing
- clock mechanism and glazed clock faces
In Order to log this Geocache you must complete these tasks:
1. Take a photo of you, your GPS, or another personal item with the Old Post Office in the background.
2. What town was the jeweler from who recieved the tender and installation of the clock? (Not where it was made)
3. What year was the building closed as a Post Office?
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
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