The New Westminster Court House and Land Registry Office
The New Westminster Court House
The Court House was designed by architect George William Grant and opened on June 3, 1891 by the first colonial judge and Chief Justice for British Columbia, Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie.
On September 10, 1898, the entire New Westminster downtown business area was destroyed by fire, including the Court House. The Court House was rebuilt within existing walls by G.W. Grant and reopened on June 19, 1899.
The Land Registry Office
The Land Registry Office was designed in 1910 by architect E.G.W. Sait. The new building became the office for the Record of Instruments and Registration of Titles affecting real estate for the District of New Westmninster.
The Court House and the Land Registry were closed in 1980. The buildings were renovated in 1989, renamed "Begbie Court" and reopened in January 1990. In 1997 the buildings were purchased by "Begbie Court Holdings Inc.", a wholly owned subsidiary of "Operating Engineers Pension PLan".
Marker can be reached from the intersection of Carnavon Street and McKenzie Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
