- Type
- Other places
- Designated
- 1996
Counterscarp Gallery
In French: Galerie de la contrescarpe et des contremines
Also known as Counterscarp Gallery and Countermines
About Counterscarp Gallery
Counterscarp Gallery is one of 6 Classified Federal Heritage Buildings in Schmidtville. Its record dates Counterscarp Gallery to 1829–1833. Its design is credited to Lieuteneant-Colonel Richard Boteler, Captain Loyalty Peake and Lieutenant-Colonel Gustavas Nicolls. Within 400 m there are 16 more historic places.
Located in the Defence Complex of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada, the Counterscarp Gallery’s only visible external wall is that of the counterscarp which completely surrounds the fortress. The wall is about eighteen feet high, except at the main entrance to the Citadel. Here the upper part of the counterscarp opens to the roadway, which is flanked by two stone walls projecting from the counterscarp wall and marking the entrance to the fortress. Due to the star-shaped trace of the Citadel, the wall is broken into shorter sections which usually meet at pointed angles,except opposite the salients of the ravelins and the Redan, where they are curved. The wall is pierced by loopholes for its entire length. Eight entrances, set about one meter above the floor of the ditch, are located opposite the salients and the demi-bastions. The top of the counterscarp is coped.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Counterscarp Gallery · Open Government Licence – Canada · quoted as the register has it
Classified federal heritage buildings are the federal government’s most significant buildings.
Make it a walk: 5 historic places in about 10 minutes
Schmidtville · about 600 m on foot, as the crow flies
- 1Counterscarp GalleryStart here
- 2Town Clock on Citadel HillClassified Federal Heritage Building · 200 m on
- 3Halifax Academy BuildingProvincially Registered Property · 200 m on
- 4Commanding Officer's ResidenceRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 100 m on
- 52/Officers' Married QuartersRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 100 m on
12 within 300 m
Every place on the record within this distance; each opens its own page.
Questions about Counterscarp Gallery
Is Counterscarp Gallery protected?
Yes, while the federal government owns it: changes go through its heritage review.
What is Counterscarp Gallery?
Since 1996, Counterscarp Gallery has been a Classified Federal Heritage Building.
Can you visit Counterscarp Gallery?
The outside is easy to see; inside, it depends on the owner’s rules.
When was Counterscarp Gallery built?
Its register puts the building of Counterscarp Gallery at 1829–1833.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).