Historic Dalhousie Buildings
Tour Description
As the province’s largest university, Dalhousie University has played a significant role in the history of Halifax and Nova Scotia as a whole. Founded in 1818, by George Ramsay, the ninth Earl of Dalhousie and Nova Scotia Lieutenant-Governor at the time, Dalhousie was established as a college with its original location being in Grand Parade - where Halifax City Hall is currently located. In 1863, Dalhousie opened with six professors and one tutor, with the first degrees being awarded in 1866. In 2018, Dalhousie celebrated its milestone 200th anniversary. The campus of Dalhousie has grown significantly since it was first established in 1818, and has always been a significant presence in the heart of Halifax. This tour includes stories on a select number of Dalhousie buildings.
Locations for Tour
Dalhousie College
In the early 1800s, George Ramsay, the ninth Earl of Dalhousie and Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, had a vision: that Halifax would be home to a non-denominational college, where lectures were available to all regardless of religion or…
Dalhousie University - Clinical Research Centre
Today, the Clinical Research Centre houses administrative and academic departments of the Dalhousie Medical School. When it opened in 1924, however, this building was known as the Public Health Clinic, and was a central component of Dalhousie's…
Dalhousie University - Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building
In 1967, Canada celebrated its Centennial and Dalhousie celebrated the opening of the Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building. Indeed, the two events were related: as part of its Centennial celebrations, the federal government earmarked millions of…
Dalhousie University - Forrest Building
Dalhousie was founded as a non-denominational college in 1818, and for almost 70 years classes were held in a building on the Grand Parade at Duke and Barrington Streets (today the site of Halifax City Hall). By 1885, Dalhousie had outgrown its…
Dalhousie University - Weldon Law Building
In 1967, the Weldon Law Building became the latest home for the Dalhousie Law School. It bears the name of Richard Chapman Weldon (1849-1925), the founding dean and one of the most important figures in the history of Dalhousie's law school.…
Dalhousie University - Student Union Building
"Arise, ye masses, and expect a miracle. The grand opening of our building will inspire us all with a resurrecting fervor and bring purpose and direction to our lackadaisical campus." So read the Dalhousie Gazette's editorial on…
Dorothy and Izaak Killam
Take a walk down University Avenue sometime. There’s one name you’ll notice that shows up on several buildings on the street: Killam.
Starting at Dalhousie University, you’ll see the Killam Memorial Library looming on campus. Walk further down the…
Dalhousie University - Studley Gymnasium
Dalhousie's Studley Gym is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Before it, Dalhousie had a temporary gymnasium, built in 1921. When that was destroyed by fire in May 1931, plans for a replacement were immediately begun. Funding for the new gym…
Dalhousie University - Macdonald Building
In 1901, Dalhousie mathematics professor Charles MacDonald died in his sleep, having caught a cold that turned into pneumonia. Only 5 days earlier, MacDonald had still been teaching, no doubt with his characteristic precision, passion, humour, and…
Dalhousie University - Sir James Dunn Building
Anyone interested in the history of Dalhousie and Halifax will soon notice how frequently the names 'Sir James Dunn' and 'Lady Dunn' appear on buildings and cultural spaces. Indeed, the Dunn name can be found on schools, hospitals, and scholarship…
Dalhousie University - Henry Hicks Building
If you turn west at the main entrance to Dalhousie's Studley Campus, the Henry Hicks Building rises up at the end of University Avenue, its tower something of an imposing structure that looms over the campus. This building, when it opened in 1951,…
Dalhousie University - Shirreff Hall
In 1885, Margaret Florence Newcombe became the first woman BA to graduate from Dalhousie. In the years and decades that followed, a number of pioneering women followed in her footsteps, and slowly but surely the number of female Dalhousie students…
Dalhousie University - President's Residence
The history of the President's Residence is tied to Dalhousie's distinguished alumnus R.B. Bennett, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (1930-35). Bennett graduated from Dalhousie Law in 1893, after which he served on the university's Board…