The Old Sydney Mines Post Office is valued as a reminder of a time of spectacular growth that occurred in the community following the building of the blast furnaces by the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company at the turn of the 20th century. It was this growth that prompted the Dominion Government, which as a means to encouraging national pride and consciousness was continuing a program of erecting public buildings in small urban centres, to select a prominent location in this community to build a Post Office and Customs House. The building originally served both as a post office and as a customs house, with an upstairs apartment for the caretaker. It served as a post office until 1968 when, after the building of a new post office, the building was acquired by the town.
The Old Sydney Mines Post Office is also valued as a rare Nova
Scotian example of the French Romanesque Revival style, with elements
such as crow-stepped gables, towers and battlements that are reminiscent
of the Scottish Baronial style. Completed in stone and brick, with its
heavy masculine features dominating the centre of town, the Old Sydney
Mines Post Office conveys a sense of the country's power and wealth,
just as the new Dominion Government had intended in 1904. The
crow-stepped gable over one entrance gives an impression of wealth,
while the massive crenelated porch tower over the other adds a
fortress-like appearance. The building presents an asymmetrical facade
of polychrome brick and stone with a steep mansard roof. A 1989
addition, which is incorporated into the rear of the building, is
designed to closely match the original structure styling, while
maintaining the integrity of the original form.
Source: Provincial Heritage Property files, no. 20,
Heritage Division