Algonquin Casino

GENERAL

Alternate Titles

Van Horne Ballroom

Type / Purpose

Casino, Ballroom

Location

173 Adolphus Street, St Andrews, New Brunswick

Description

The Algonquin Casino is a one-storey Prairie style building with extremely wide eaves and an open front veranda. It sits on Adolphus Street across from the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews.

Heritage Value

The Algonquin Casino is a concrete building in the high-end Prairie style. The Prairie style, popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), is an evolution of the Craftsman style. Compared to regular Craftsman-style buildings, this structure features a lower hipped roof with very wide overhanging eaves. Cylindrical pillars supporting these eaves form an open veranda along the front façade. There is also a glassed-in veranda on the building's side and a southern wing.

Over the years, the casino hosted a number of activities. The basement featured a billiard room and a bowling alley; meanwhile, at different times the open upstairs room served as a dance floor, a dining hall, a conference room, and a theatre. Throughout WWII, the casino also hosted several charitable events supporting the war relief effort, which were held by organizations such as the Red Cross. Currently, the building is still operating and is now called 'the Van Horne Ballroom'.

Heritage Recognition

Municipal Register of Local Historic Places (2010/02/01)

ARCHITECTURE

Date of Construction

1913

Character Defining Elements

- One-storey massing with basement
- Low hipped roof
- Wood-framed windows
- Extremely wide overhanging eaves
- Full-length front veranda with large cylindrical pillars
- Glassed-in side veranda
- Open floor plan with a fireplace
- Small southern wing held up by short cylindrical pillars atop of square bases

SOURCES AND DOCUMENTS

Photos

Photograph by the Town of St. Andrews, taken from the Canada's Historic Places website

Sources Contributors

Gabrielle Byrne

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