The History of the Colonial Building

The Colonial Building in St. John's has a long and storied history in the province.

The building was in use as a meeting place for government from 1850 to July 1959. It served as the meeting place for the colonial and later provincial government.

Construction began on May 24, 1847, when the cornerstone was laid by the Governor, Major-General Sir John Gaspar Le Marchant. The building officially opened in 1850.

The site was declared a Provincial Historic Site in 1974.

While Newfoundland had a representative government in 1832, it did not have a formal meeting place and would meet at various locations.