At first glance, it's another old building in an old town. Everyday, people walk past and barely stop to take notice of the hand-carved Tyndall Stone or the century old engravings above the entrances. Perhaps on its 100th anniversary, residents might once again remember the story of the old Humboldt courthouse.
"It's unique in terms of its structure," said Dan Washkowsky, the primary caretaker and building operator. "It's one of a kind."
Aside from a casual backup person, Washkowsky has been the only person maintaining the building since 2006. He regularly fixes up the cracks, dusts the shelves, sweeps the floors, and vacuums the carpets if necessary. He also does it alone.
"I drop off mail around the city every once in while," said Washkowsky. "If it wasn't for that, I could go for days without seeing anyone."
The reason for that is simple: the courthouse has been semi-abandoned. Up until 2009, Queen's Bench was here, which included the Registrar and the Sheriff's office. After they moved to Saskatoon, the courthouse lay empty except for Mondays, during which provincial court is held.
Considering the unique composition and background of this structure, it's especially unfortunate that it's hardly being used.
The tale of this building begins in 1914 when construction first commenced. The First World War delayed its completion, but at least the courthouse side was operational by 1915. Raymond Philbrick directed and designed it while Parsons Engineering and Construction Company of Regina actually built it. The frame was made with metal and filled with brick infill. The outer buff brick was the only brick made in Saskatchewan at the time that was classified as structurally sound. Fun fact: that particular brick was made in Bruno.
"If you look at the top of the building, that's all carving done in limestone," said Washkowsky. "There's emblems up on the building and if you look carefully, you can see a flame and a hand. I think there's also a dove somewhere up there as well."
In the 1970s, attempts were made to uncover the secret meanings of those emblems, but to no avail. In 1979, even the Saskatchewan provincial archivist said he didn't know and couldn't figure it out. It has since become another mystery that time has faded with obscurity.
Following the First World War, in 1921 another addition made its home on the eastern side of the property: a cenotaph. The abstract war memorial now bears the names of all the people who lost their lives in both world wars.
The inside is another feat of structural wonder. Upon stepping into the building, it would be nearly impossible to tell that it's 100 years old. The floors still gleam as if freshly waxed, the furniture shines as if newly polished, and the windows still sparkle as if it's 1915. None of the walls are even peeling.
"That is the best courtroom in the province," said Peter Dielschneider, who was resident judge at the courthouse from 1973 to 1998. "The oak furniture is unique and what's most unique is the judge's dais. Behind it is an oak carving of the Canadian crest."
Indeed, the courtroom is possibly the most grandiose room in the entire building. One wall consists of almost entirely windows, allowing bright sunlight to stream in. Behind that room exist the corridor of offices for lawyers, the Queen's Bench judge, and whomever else. The judge's room in particular looks brand new with plush carpets and a pristine tiled personal bathroom. It will probably stay this way since there is no judge to use it.
"In 1934, general repairs needed to be made [and] 1952 saw the installation of a new heating system," stated an old article by the Humboldt and District Museum. "In 1964 and 1965, the stones were reset at the Courthouse and Land Titles office entrances and the courtroom floor was covered with plywood and tiled."
It's only when one travels downstairs that they can see where old age is making itself known. In rooms Washkowsky hasn't yet tended to, the plaster is crumbling and the bricks show through. Nothing is shiny and everything looks dank and lackluster, from the concrete floors to the unpainted walls.
At this point, it would take a novel to illustrate the various unique quirks and curiosities tucked away in that basement. A chapter could be written on the old unused claw foot bathtub in one room or the massive and still functioning boiler in another. For now, it should suffice to point out only the most interesting or surprising features.
"There are no ghosts down here, I promise," said Washkowsky. "It's usually just me."
One could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Although there are a couple ways to get downstairs, the stairs leading from the back of the courtroom down to the prison cells are unnaturally narrow. Ironically, halfway down is an exit door.
The cells themselves are simple crisscrossing strips of cold metal enclosing tiny spaces barely large enough for two men. One room has black cells for boys; the other has silver cells for girls. It seems they were gender colour-coded for the forgetful or absent-minded.
Also in the basement are empty vaults similar to the evidence vault upstairs. Both have claustrophobically tight doorways and both hold something unique and unlikely to be found anywhere else.
The one downstairs contains full bottles of Molson Canadian beer from a few decades ago. The one upstairs bears signatures and the years they were signed on the inner wall next to the doorway. The earliest ones date back to 1929.
Fortunately, the municipal heritage status that was bestowed upon the site in 1984 means that those little quirks will mostly likely stay preserved. Unfortunately, that also means that only changes that restore the building to its original form can be made.
"One of the issues with it being used is that it's not wheelchair accessible," said Washkowsky. "But making it more accessible is difficult as it's got that status."
It's not impossible, but whoever undertakes that project would have to find a way to work around that status, or get the status dropped.
"I hope that the courtroom itself will be kept as a courtroom," said Dielschneider. "Right now they're using it for provincial court and that's a good thing. That should continue so that the courtroom is preserved as the courthouse for Humboldt."
Of course, that's not the only purpose. The building was designed to be multi-functional. The other side of the building housed the Land Titles Office. While they moved out a while ago, the possibilities for other government agencies still exist.
"There were other agencies in there such as the Saskatchewan Environmental Resource Management, health inspector, and some others," said Washkowsky. "There are possibilities that new tenants may occupy the building again."
So there is hope that perhaps one day, the old Humboldt courthouse will be empty no longer.
