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Description
The Admiralty House Museum and Archives is a one storey, wooden gable roofed building with an additional one-storey wooden building once used for wireless communication. Also located on the property is a piece of the original radio tower and foundation blocks used to support the towers. The designation is confined to the property.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
City of Mount Pearl Heritage Building, Structure or Land
Heritage Value
The Admiralty House Museum and Archives has been designated a municipal heritage site by the City of Mount Pearl because of its historic and aesthetic value.
The Admiralty House Museum and Archives, formerly known as the H.M. Wireless Station, has historic value due to its associations with the British Admiralty, its involvement in the Florizel Disaster of 1918, and the evolution of wireless communication both Newfoundland and beyond. In 1914 the British Admiralty proposed the building of the wireless telegraphy station at Mount Pearl in efforts to improve its war time intelligence gathering and weather reporting capabilities. This building was one of 13 wireless stations built throughout the world by the British Admiralty during the First World War. The Admiralty designated H.M. Wireless Station at Mount Pearl as its North Atlantic Intelligence Centre. Members of the Marconi Company were recruited in to the British Navy and sent to work in the wireless station under the command of Officer Lieutenant G.L.J. Wolley. In comparison to other wireless stations in Newfoundland during that time, the H.M. Wireless station was among the most powerful, employing state-of-the-art equipment that allowed transmission and reception of signals over 1000 miles away. Following the conclusion of World War One, the H.M. Wireless station was used for the transmission and collection of information regarding shipping and the weather. In 1918, the station played an important role in the Florizel Disaster when it received and relayed the only S.O.S. signal from the ship after it had run aground off Newfoundland’s south-eastern shore. In 1939, the H.M. Wireless station was again utilized for communications, only this time it was spear-headed by the Commission Government of Newfoundland who broadcasted the Voice of Newfoundland (VONF) station out of the west end of the wireless station. Currently, the building is still being utilized for radio communication in addition to being the location for Mount Pearl’s museum and archives.
The Admiralty House Museum and Archives has aesthetic value due to its style of construction. When the British Admiralty proposed the construction of the thirteen wireless buildings they opted to use prefabricated buildings, giving the Admiralty control over the style and shape of the building. This style of building also allowed for rapid construction of the project. Original features still remaining including the original roof trusses and chimneys. The Admiralty House Museum and Archives also has aesthetic value due to its strategic placement within the city of Mount Pearl. Due to its usage as a wireless communication site during the First World War, it was necessary that the H.M. Wireless Station be placed in an area that was good for wireless communication but at the same time safe from incoming fire from enemy ships.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, unnumbered file – Mount Pearl – Admiralty House Museum and Archives
Character Defining Elements
All original features which relate to the age and style of the building including:
-low pitched gable roof with original trusses;
-original chimneys;
-prefabricated construction style;
-size, shape and location of windows excluding those in modernized entrance way;
-size, dimensions and location of museum;
-original features of the building related to its use as a telegraphy station.
Elements relating to environment including:
-location of wireless communication building in respects to location of museum;
-remnants of wireless tower and concrete base;
-location within the city of Mount Pearl.
Location and History
Community
Mount Pearl
Municipality
City of Mount Pearl
Civic Address
365 Old Placentia Road
Construction (circa)
1914 - 1915
Builder
Marconi Company, Marconi Wireless and Telegraphy Company, Chelmsford, England for the Royal Navy
Style
Rectangular Long Façade