The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia heard cases in the Halifax Court House for a century, from 1860 until 1960. In 1971, the primary tenant became the Nova Scotia Provincial Court. The Italian Renaissance design of the brown stone façade was the work of architect William Thomas. Especially noteworthy are Tuscan columns above the prominent high-reliefs shaped as lion medallions and facial keystones. Halifax Court House was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969.