Capitol Building

GENERAL

Alternate Titles

Graham Opera House

Type / Purpose

Theatre / business

Location

114 Queen Street, Woodstock, New Brunswick

Description

The Capitol Building is a large Italianate commercial building in Woodstock. It stands three-stories tall with a two-storey extension, is made of red brick, and is topped with a hipped roof.

Heritage Value

The Capitol Building in Woodstock is notable both for its Italianate architecture and its longtime use as a social centre and movie theatre.

With its large rectangular massing, red brick exterior, and hipped roof, the Capitol Building provides a good example of the commercial brick Italianate architecture that had grown popular following the destruction of much of downtown Woodstock in the Great Fire of 1881. It is also a particularly impressive building, as it stands three stories tall, making it taller than any other heritage building in Woodstock.

The Capitol Building also had a long history in Woodstock's entertainment scene. Built in 1885, the Capitol Building was originally known as the Graham Opera House. In its early years, it was Woodstock's go-to community and social centre, with local talent, travelling performers, and vaudeville acts coming together to regularly appease the crowd. The third floor hosted dance and music, and the building was frequently rented out for various types of gatherings.

However, the opening of the luxurious Hayden Gibson Theatre in 1901 led to a decrease in interest and sales for the Graham Opera House. To cope with the competition, the building took on a new life as a moving picture house. It was renamed the Bijou Theatre after its then-owner, the Bijou Amusement Company.

In 1922, under the direction of Neil F. Brodie, the building underwent a major overhaul. Renovations were done through the theatre, and a two-story annex was added to the structure. It changed names again, this time to the Vogue Theatre. Afterwards, the business continued for over sixty more years before finally closing permanently in the mid-1980s, then known as the Capitol Theatre. Since then, the building has been repurposed as a multi-purpose retail business, dining establishment, and office space.

Heritage Recognition

Municipal Register of Local Historic Places (2006/07/07)

ARCHITECTURE

Date of Construction

1885

Character Defining Elements

- Combined original three-storey massing and 1922 two-storey massing
- Red brick exterior with decorative patterning
- Hipped roof
- Symmetrical window placement
- brick pilasters
- Former dance floor on third level

Additions/Major Alterations

Two story side massing added in 1922 rennovation

Architect/Designer

F. Neil Brodie (1922)

SOURCES AND DOCUMENTS

Photos
Front view of Capitol Building, photographed by the Carleton County Historical Society. Image taken from historicplaces.ca.

Sources Contributors

Gabrielle Byrne

Copyright 2023
A Ginger Design