Downtown Halifax Historic Districts

City Hall stands at the north end of the Grand Parade, the symbolic centre of Halifax, and has been the seat of municipal government for over one hundred and thirty years. The basement of the building is the original foundation of the old Dalhousie College building. The site was formerly occupied by Dalhousie College and negotiations for its acquisition hinged on the City providing Dalhousie with sufficient funds and land to build elsewhere. Agreement was only reached after twelve years of negotiation. Designed by Edward Elliott, the building is Classical in design with a central clock tower and two end pavilions which accentuate its symmetrical composition combined with belt courses, gable and large pediment dormers to give the building a “spirited lightness” that is unusual for government buildings of the period. This storymap is embedded in the following halifax.ca webpage: https://www.halifax.ca/home-property/heritage-properties/virtual-tour-downtown-halifax-historic-districts

Publisher

Halifax Regional Municipality

Resources

1

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-03-03