8
Building Heritage Newsletter – December 2004 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritage The McLeod Block became an instant landmark when it was completed in 1915. It was the city’s tallest building at the time, a distinction it held for almost 40 years. Kenneth McLeod came to Edmonton in 1891 and by 1913 was successful enough to be able to finance this $600,000 venture. The McLeod Block is a virtual replica of a building which McLeod saw in Spokane, Washington. He even hired the same man, John K. Dow, to design it. Terracotta provides detail at the windows, cornice and corners, and matching glazed brick is used as a veneer over the rest of the façade. It is now the best remaining example of Edmonton’s skyscraper design of that period. It now houses upscale condos. The Old Citadel was designed by prominent Edmonton architects Magoon and MacDonald. It was built for the Salva- tion Army in 1925 as a centre for administration and religious services. When the Sally Ann moved to a larger building in Continued on page 2 (Above left) Kingston Powell Building Photo credit: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department (Above) McLeod Block, c. 1915 Photo credit: City of Edmonton Archives (Left) Old Citadel Building Photo credit: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department T hey stand as physical reminders of Edmonton’s past. Some are typical representations of their time; others are inter- nationally renowned for their innovation. All of them had a part to play in making the City of Edmonton what it is today. As we celebrate our centennial and 24 years since the creation of Edmonton’s Heritage Program in 1980, we reflect on the buildings that have shaped the face of Edmonton. By choosing one building from each decade and focusing on public and com- mercial buildings either representative of the period or recog- nized for their architectural significance or innovation, we can follow the development of Edmonton from its early years through to the present day. In early 1907, Kingston Powell obtained a building permit for a store and offices on what was then known as Namayo Av- enue. By 1909, Mac’s Clothing Store was the new occupant and the ensuing decades saw a variety of businesses pass through the space, including several confectioners and candy shops, barber and beauty shops, and furniture companies. The store is typical of Boomtown era commercial architecture of timber construction, but is clad in unique pressed metal siding that resembles stone blocks. This is the only building of its kind remaining in Edmon- ton’s original downtown. The Kingston Powell Building is a dra- matic example of how heritage restoration can improve the ap- pearance of a structure while maintaining historic integrity.

100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    2

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 2004 1

������������ ������������

100 Years of Edmonton’sBuilt Heritage

The McLeod Block became an instant landmark when itwas completed in 1915. It was the city’s tallest building at thetime, a distinction it held for almost 40 years. Kenneth McLeodcame to Edmonton in 1891 and by 1913 was successful enoughto be able to finance this $600,000 venture. The McLeod Blockis a virtual replica of a building which McLeod saw in Spokane,Washington. He even hired the same man, John K. Dow, todesign it. Terracotta provides detail at the windows, cornice andcorners, and matching glazed brick is used as a veneer over therest of the façade. It is now the best remaining example ofEdmonton’s skyscraper design of that period. It now housesupscale condos.

The Old Citadel was designed by prominent Edmontonarchitects Magoon and MacDonald. It was built for the Salva-tion Army in 1925 as a centre for administration and religiousservices. When the Sally Ann moved to a larger building in

Continued on page 2

(Above left) Kingston PowellBuildingPhoto credit: City of Edmonton Planningand Development Department(Above) McLeod Block, c. 1915Photo credit: City of Edmonton Archives(Left) Old Citadel BuildingPhoto credit: City of Edmonton Planningand Development Department

They stand as physical reminders of Edmonton’s past. Someare typical representations of their time; others are inter-

nationally renowned for their innovation. All of them had apart to play in making the City of Edmonton what it is today.As we celebrate our centennial and 24 years since the creationof Edmonton’s Heritage Program in 1980, we reflect on thebuildings that have shaped the face of Edmonton. By choosingone building from each decade and focusing on public and com-mercial buildings either representative of the period or recog-nized for their architectural significance or innovation, we canfollow the development of Edmonton from its early yearsthrough to the present day.

In early 1907, Kingston Powell obtained a building permitfor a store and offices on what was then known as Namayo Av-enue. By 1909, Mac’s Clothing Store was the new occupant andthe ensuing decades saw a variety of businesses pass through thespace, including several confectioners and candy shops, barberand beauty shops, and furniture companies. The store is typical ofBoomtown era commercial architecture of timber construction,but is clad in unique pressed metal siding that resembles stoneblocks. This is the only building of its kind remaining in Edmon-ton’s original downtown. The Kingston Powell Building is a dra-matic example of how heritage restoration can improve the ap-pearance of a structure while maintaining historic integrity.

Page 2: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 20042

1965, the Old Citadel became home tothe Citadel Theatre, and remained so until1976 when the new Citadel Theatreopened. The clinker brick exterior fea-tures a flat roof with gabled parapets ateach corner, ornate brick and tile detail-ing, and an imposing central tower. Twoslender towers connected by recessedpanels, vertical brick piers and the re-cessed and arched entryway composethis central tower. There is a smallcorbelled brick balcony halfway up thenorth tower. These features givethe building the appearance ofa fortress, but the strong verti-cal elements also evoke an ec-clesiastical feel.

As the city moved into themodern era from 1930 to 1960,we started to see morestreamlined architecture. TheHudson’s Bay DepartmentStore on Jasper Avenue was con-structed over the years 1937-1939, on the same site where anHBC store had been locatedsince 1893. Winnipeg architec-ture firm Moody and Moorewere in charge of the project, and theBennett and White Construction Co.built it. The building is an example ofthe Moderne style of architecture, amore streamlined style that was favouredin the 1930s. The reinforced concretestructure is faced with black Quebecgranite on the street level and buffManitoba Tyndall limestone on the up-per floors. Stainless steel trim and glassblocks are incorporated into the exte-rior design, as are the large carved lime-stone panels over each entrance thatdepict scenes from the early history ofthe Hudson’s Bay Company in Edmon-ton. The original building was two sto-reys high, with the third floor added in1949. One other major addition wasmade in 1955, extending the store northfrom Jasper Avenue and doubling its size.The Bay Store moved from this loca-tion into Edmonton Centre in 1995 andsadly, the building has remained nearlyvacant for the better part of the lastdecade. The location currently houses atelevision studio in one corner of thebuilding and while several proposals havebeen put forth over the years for vari-

ous tenants, none, as yet, have been sat-isfactory. The three street-facing facadesof the building are designated Munici-pal Historic Resources.

St Joseph’s Hospital is good ex-ample of the Institutional Modern styleand is a very early example of its kind inEdmonton, tying in Art Deco and Inter-national style architectural movements.This is characterized by an economy indecorative elements and an emphasis onmassing and horizontal lines. Its broadrectangular mass is dominated by redbrick with cream-white stone accentingthe horizontal banding. Decorative ele-ments include such elements as chev-rons enhancing the front stone entranceand spandrels above or the niches thatonce harboured religious statues, etc.

St. Joseph’s beginnings began in1927 when Roman Catholic ArchbishopH.J. O’Leary recognized that Edmontonneeded a home for the aged and infirm.With the assistance of the Sisters ofProvidence of St. Vincent de Paul inKingston, Ontario, a care facility wasestablished on this site. In 1948 archi-tect George Heath MacDonald designed

a four storey hospital to replace the origi-nal structure that became too small. In1955 Jock MacDonald, nephew of theoriginal architect, added 2 more match-ing floors. Despite two wings beingadded in the 1960’s, the hospital movedin 1993 to a larger site, allowing the build-ing eventually to be converted intocondos and retail units.

The Paramount Theatre’s Inter-national Modern architectural style, withits Expressionistic element is one of Ed-monton’s unique surviving ‘modern’ thea-tres. Designed by the architectural firmStanley and Stanley, it opened in July 1st,1952 to become Famous Players’ larg-est and flagship property in the city withmore than 1,500 seats.

The International style influenceshere include strong horizontal and verti-cal lines, through such elements as theangled canopy topped by a strong verti-cal element, being the marquee and largeblank stone wall. Examples of stylisticdevices popular in the 1950s includeasymmetrical composition and the‘zigzag’entrance ground floor. Minimal orna-mentation and more emphasis on struc-tural form is key. The use of good ma-terials, including Tyndall limestone fromManitoba, granite from British Colum-

(Left) The Hudson’s BayDepartment Store(Below left) St. Joseph’sHospital(Below) ParamountTheatrePhoto credit: City ofEdmonton Planning andDevelopment Department

Page 3: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 2004 3

bia and marble and travertine from Italyfurther enhance the overall quality of thisbuilding.

An inventory of the City’s modernhistoric resources built from 1930 to1960 is currently being prepared by her-itage consultants. It will be completed bythe end of 2005.

Work began on the HousingUnion Building (HUB) on the Univer-sity of Alberta campus in 1969. De-signed by Diamond and Myers architects,the building is 957 feet long by 120 feetwide, and straddles 112 St. for four cityblocks. The building houses about 50commercial tenants and 850 students,with shopping and recreation and serv-ices on the lower and main level, and stu-dent apartments above. In essence, HUBis an interior ‘Main Street’ of the uni-versity covered by exposed steel trussesand clear acrylic domes. The building’sdesign has won several architectureawards, including the 2000 RAIC Mil-lennium Celebration of Architecture.

Edmonton is renowned for its thriv-ing, world-class theatre community. Since1965, the Citadel Theatre has been abastion of the theatre arts in Canada.Having outgrown its original space in theold Salvation Army Citadel, The CitadelTheatre moved into its new $6.5 million-dollar home in 1976. The building wasdesigned by Toronto architect BartonMyers with Rick Wilkin, and contained

three performing spaces. It was ex-panded in 1984 with the opening of theLee Pavilion, which housed two moretheatre spaces, an indoor garden and anine-metre tall waterfall. The CitadelTheatre was founded by Dr. Joseph H.Shoctor, who was named one of theEdmontonians of the Century for hiscontributions to our city.

To remain true to the spirit of the1980s, it seems fitting to feature a build-ing like Manulife Tower. Situated inthe heart of downtown Edmonton’s fi-nancial district, it is a blend of commer-cial and office space. There are approxi-mately 30 exclusive outlets in the malllocated on the first two floors of thebuilding, many catering to high fashionand jewelry. Manulife Tower is the tall-est building in the city, standing at480 feet. Built in 1983, the tower has36 storeys clad in reflective glass.Clifford Lawrie Bolton Ritchie Architectsdesigned the building, whose unorthodoxexterior shape allows for 32 corner of-fices per floor.

Edmonton’s new City Hall openedits doors on August 28, 1992. Local ar-chitect Gene Dub designed the award-winning building. He incorporated ele-ments reclaimed from the former cityhall into his design, including the bur-gundy granite on the south entrance pil-lars and the travertine (honey-colouredstone) used on the floors. Two distinc-

tive features of the building are an eightstorey glass pyramid and a 200 foot highFriendship Tower that holds a 23 bellcarillon weighing 40,000 pounds. Theoutdoor wading pool becomes a skatingrink in the winter. The building is notonly the legislative centre of the city,but is a gathering place for residents andvisitors alike.

After the tragic fire of March 11,2003 that claimed two historic resourcesand several other buildings on the cornerof Whyte Avenue and 104th Street, aphoenix has risen from the ashes. Con-struction is complete on the new commer-cial buildings. Originally known as the PostOffice Block, the former home ofSouthside Sound and CC on Whyte hashad its façade reconstructed as per theoriginal design, and is now home to newbusinesses. Bricks were reclaimed fromthe original buildings and used in the con-struction of the storefronts for this newcommercial block. It is reassuring to seeEdmonton embracing a new century whilestill maintaining a connection to the past.Edmontonians can now look forward tofurther celebration of our built heritageas we celebrate being a province for100 years in 2005. Then we can reflecton the University of Alberta’s beautifulheritage buildings when they celebrate their100th anniversary in 2008.

Natalie Hamilton, Robert Geldartand David Holdsworth

(Left) Citadel Theatre(Above left) Housing Union Building (HUB)(Above) City Hall(Above right) Manulife Tower(Right) Whyte Avenue and 104th StreetPhoto credit: City of Edmonton Planning andDevelopment Department

Page 4: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 20044

Hangar #14*This double-wide, double-long

hangar was built in 1941 as part of theBritish Commonwealth Air Training Planduring World War II, and may be thelast such hangar remaining in Canada.It was built entirely of timber and hasextensive double warren trusses. Thebuilding served as the base for the 418City of Edmonton squadron, and is as-sociated with the famous Edmontonaviator, W.R. ‘Wop’ May. It is now thehome of the Alberta Aviation Museumand Learning Centre.

Mill Creek Trestle Bridge*Operating from 1902 through to

1954, the Mill Creek Trestle Bridge wasbuilt to service the Edmonton, Yukon andPacific Railway, Edmonton’s first rail trans-portation. This line connected to the Ca-nadian Pacific rail line south of Strathcona,ran along Mill Creek Ravine and crossedthe Low Level Bridge. The bridge is nowpart of the River Valley Trail system andconnects the neighbourhoods on eitherside of Mill Creek Ravine.

Ortona Armouries**Constructed in 1914, this building

was a horse stable and warehouse forthe Hudson’s Bay Company, who usedit until 1924 when they began using trucksinstead of horse-drawn wagons for theirtransportation needs. The building wasconverted into a drill hall and barracksby the Royal Canadian Naval VolunteerReserve during World War II, and wasrenamed the H.M.C.S. Nonsuch. It

served a number of otherpurposes over the years, andbecame known as the OrtonaArmouries after the LoyalEdmonton Regiment 3rd Bat-talion took over the buildingin 1965. The building nowcontains studio space for

several local artists.

Prince of Wales Armouries*Construction of the imposing

80,000 square foot structure occurred

Building Heritage – City Buildings

As Edmonton enters its 100th year as an incorporated city, an important step has been taken to preserve our city’s built heritage. Recently, a number of buildings owned by

the City of Edmonton were designated as Municipal Historic Resources.

over the years1913-1915. Gen-erations of soldierswere trained in thebuilding’s huge drillhall. The drill hallis so large that anew building wasconstructed insideof it to house the

City of Edmonton Archives. The LoyalEdmonton Regiment Museum and anumber of other organizations are alsolocated within the Armouries.

John Walter Museum Site*The John Walter Museum Site is des-

ignated as a Historic Resource both mu-nicipally and provincially. John Walter wasan early pioneer and entrepreneur whoplayed an important part in Edmonton’s

development. He established aferry service, two lumber mills,a coal mine operation, a gen-eral store, and a carriage serv-ice, among other industries. Twolog cabins and a timber framedhouse belonging to John Walterwere moved onto the museumsite, which is located on land that

was once owned by the entrepreneur.These buildings reflect the developmentof early pioneer housing.

Page 5: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 2004 5

Strathcona Public Library*This building houses the oldest branch

of the Edmonton Public Library, and hasbeen open for service since 1913. It isconstructed of brick and embellished withlimestone detailing in the English Renais-sance style. The building was designed byWilson and Herald and constructed by W.Dietz, both local Edmonton firms. Thedesign is typical of period educationalbuildings. A new addition will be con-structed for the library in the near future,and the architecture will be sympatheticto the original style of the building.

William Paskins Residence*The two and a half storey William

Paskins residence was erected circa1902. It is a gabled wooden house builtin a simplified Queen Anne style. Thehouse will be moved to the corner of anearby lot to make room for new de-velopment in the area, and it will be re-stored to its original state. This housewas once the home of Thomas HenryCoutts, who founded the Coutts Ma-chinery Company in Edmonton.

Natalie Hamilton, Robert Geldartand David Holdsworth

Photo credits:* City of Edmonton Planning and Development

Department** City of Edmonton Archives

This Old Edmonton HousePublic Seminar Series

The “This Old Edmonton HousePublic Seminar Series” will be run-

ning again this upcoming spring forthose who missed the last series or forthose who wish to re-attend.

The goal is to provide home own-ers who are restoring or renovating theirhomes with enough basic informationto be able to ask contractors the rightquestions and to demonstrate good res-toration rather than ‘modernization’ canachieve the same goal.

The speakers will provide a broadoverview of the subject matters in infor-mal sessions, while enabling specific prob-lems to be dealt with in the question andanswer sessions. This gives participants abasic understanding and possibly, in somecases, a specific option to pursue.

The workshops will cover founda-tions, walls, roofs, mechanical systems,plaster work, windows and doors, inte-rior décor, etc. They will run from Feb-ruary 28th into April 2005.

There will be a small fee and a needto register. For further informationplease phone David Holdsworth at496-5281 or email him [email protected] orcheck the City of Edmonton websitefor the latest postings atwww.edmonton.ca and follow the path:– Externals Site – Arts & Cultural At-tractions – Historic Resources – Herit-age Planning. To register directly call496-2925.

David HoldsworthHeritage Planner

Guest speakerJohanne Yakulagiving apresentationPhoto credit: City ofEdmonton Planning andDevelopmentDepartment

Doors Open Edmonton, part of Doors Open Alberta, is an inter-national initiative that celebrates our built heritage by offering free

guided tours to the general public of architecturally interesting buildings.The inaugural Doors Open Edmonton, presented by the Edmontonand District Historical Society, took place July 24th and 25th in conjunc-tion with the 2004 Historic Edmonton Week Festival. Doors OpenEdmonton had 36 events that showcased 29 buildings/neighbourhoods

in and around our region to over 1,100 visitors. The variety of buildings that were open to thepublic was extensive – the Freemasons’ Hall, the Union Bank Inn, Trudel House, the Hull Block,the Fairmont Hotel, the communities of Oliver, Highlands and Old Strathcona andmuch more.

Planning for the second annual Doors Open Edmonton is underway and organizers areparticularly looking for partners to open the doors of heritage homes to the public. The DoorsOpen Edmonton dates will be set soon, there is no cost to participate and organizers take care ofall marketing, including a comprehensive brochure and website, to promote the event.

If you are interested in opening the doors of your heritage home, would like more informa-tion or if you would like to be included in the mailing list, please contact Wanda Bornn at424-6512 ext. 229, email [email protected] or visit www.doorsopenalberta.ca.

Page 6: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 20046

Rehwinkel Parsonage*In 1911 the St. Peter’s Lutheran

Church congregation purchased threelots in the McCauley neighbourhood onwhich to build a church, a school and aparsonage. The modest homestead wasbuilt in 1913 and Reverend AlfredRehwinkel and his wife Dr. BessieRehwinkel moved into the home in Juneof 1914. The couple was very involvedin Edmonton’s German community, inparticular. Dr. Bessie Rehwinkel was oneof the earliest female physicians in NorthAmerica, and although she did not prac-tice medicine while in Alberta, she re-turned to the profession upon her re-turn to the United States. ReverendRehwinkel was instrumental in establish-ing Concordia University College, wherehe was a professor and served on theBoard of Control.

Terwillegar Residence*This one-and-one-half storey bun-

galow, built circa 1920, is architecturallyrepresentative of the Bungalow stylethat was built in Edmonton in thisera. It is structural evidence ofWestmount district’s tremendousgrowth prior to World War I. It isalso noteworthy as it was designedby John Martland, who later becamethe Edmonton City Architect. Themost historically significant tenant ofthe house was Dr. NormanTerwilligar, a prominent physicianwho had his practice here and residedin the home with his family from1920 until his death in 1948. Hiswife continued to live in the homeuntil 1958. The Terwilligar Heightsneighbourhood was named in memoryof Dr. Terwilligar in 1962.

Charles Barker Residence*Construction on this residence be-

gan in 1912. Charles Barker, a hard-ware pricer for the Great West SupplyCompany moved into the home in 1915,but only lived there for about a year.

The one-and-a-half storey housewas most likely a catalogue homewith a Craftsman influence. It isclad in timber-lapped siding androofed with cedar shingles. Ex-posed rafters and brackets are in-corporated into the external de-sign of the house. The mostprominent features of the frontof the building are the enclosedporch and the shed wall dormer.Interior features of the home,such as the fireplace and thewoodwork around the windows

and doors, will also be afforded somemeasure of protection under thedesignation.

Jasper Block*This building is one of the few re-

maining examples of turn-of-the-centuryEdwardian commercial architecture on

Jasper Avenue. It was designed byarchitects Hopkins and Wright andbuilt in 1909 by Ettinger construc-tion for John Kelly, a blacksmithwho made the move into real es-tate in the first decade of the 20th

century. The three storey buildinghad commercial space at street leveland apartments on the upperfloors. It is built primarily of brickand stone, with a steel frame base-ment and ground floor and timberplatform construction for the up-per floors. Interesting features in-

clude the reeded glass panels above thestorefront transom that helped refractlight to the back of the stores, and theskylight in the central hall combined witha glass block floor that allowed light tofilter through to the floor below.

Recent Designations

In addition to the des- ignation of a number

of city-owned properties,eight other buildings weredesignated in recentmonths, and two are inthe final stages of thedesignation process.

Page 7: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 2004 7

Robertson Wesley UnitedChurch*The Robertson Wesley United Church

held its opening service on January 24,1914. Its brick and limestone design is anadaptation of High Victorian Gothic Re-vival. The church has a 100 foot highsteeple that was once a landmark in thewest end, but it is now dwarfed by high-rise development in the area. The churchhas several elaborate stained glass windowsdepicting Biblical scenes, some of whichwere original to the building while otherswere added at later dates.

Hyndman Residence*Built in 1946 and designed by archi-

tect George Heath MacDonald, this houseis an excellent example of Internationalstyle architecture. The flat roof, windowsflush with outer walls, unornamented wallsurfaces with no decorative detailing atdoors or windows and the asymmetricalfaçade are the identifying features of thisstyle. This stuccoed house was originallyclad in wood lap siding, which is not typi-cal of International Style. The roof overthe front door and the upper balcony are

cantilevered projections, design featuresthat emphasize the non-supporting natureof the walls.

Oblats Maison Provinciale(Oblates Provincial House)*This building, formerly belonging to

The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is alsorecognized as a Provincial Historic Re-source due to the Oblates important rolein the development and history of Alberta.Built in 1928, the three storey brick build-ing is an example of the Revival Renais-sance style, which is not common in Al-berta. A prominent feature of the build-ing is the hexagonal cupola with a largecross finial atop it.

to accommodate an upright piano. An-other notable interior feature is the smallreading chamber next to the front win-dow in the dining room. Most of theother features on the interior of the house,including built-in bookshelves, sideboards,plate rail, and trim remain in essentiallyoriginal condition.

McNeill Residence**This home was constructed circa 1907

in the Victorian style with Queen Annecharacteristics. The two storey building isclad in buff brick with orange brick trimdetailing. It is topped by a hipped roofwith lower cross gables and a widow’s walk.The house features decorative brickwork,including cogging details below the eavesand further decorative brickwork belowthe window sills. The windows have heavylintel features and projecting sills. Theeaves feature a decorative frieze consist-ing of rosettes linked by a festoon of cir-cular disks. As part of the restoration ofthis building, the front porch will be re-moved and the original porch reinstated.John “Jock” McNeill and his family occu-pied the house from 1910-1914. JohnMcNeill purchased the Twin City Trans-fer Company in 1910 and transformed itinto an extremely successful enterprise thatincorporated baggage transfer, movingand storage, as well as Edmonton’s firsttaxi and private ambulance services. Hebuilt the city’s first landing strip at whateventually would become Blatchford Field.John McNeill was recognized as anEdmontonian of the Century for his con-tributions to our community.

Natalie Hamilton, Robert Geldartand David Holdsworth

Photo credits:* City of Edmonton Planning and Development

Department** City of Edmonton Archives

UpcomingDesignations

McTaggart Residence*Built circa 1922, this Craftsman bun-

galow in the Norwood neighbourhoodremains relatively unaltered. The timberframe house has a clinker brick founda-tion and was likely built from a cataloguedesign by the original owner John LawsonHaight. The house is clad in wooden clap-board siding and wooden shingle siding inthe gables. Lawson’s wife Kate was a pi-ano teacher, and one of the interior fea-tures of the home is a recessed section ofwall in the living room that is large enough

Page 8: 100 Years of Edmonton’s Built Heritagewebdocs.edmonton.ca › InfraPlan › Heritage › pdfs › ... · 1965, the Citadel Theatre has been a bastion of the theatre arts in Canada

Building Heritage Newsletter – December 20048

PRIN

TE

D O

N R

EC

YC

LED

PA

PER –

20%

PO

ST-C

ON

SUM

ER

WE WOULD LIKE TOHEAR FROM YOU!

Please send your responses to:The Heritage PlannerCity of EdmontonPlanning and Development Department5th Floor, 10250-101 Street NWEdmonton, AB T5J 3P4or visit our website at:www.edmonton.ca and go to Arts andCultural Attractions - Historic Resources

HISTORIC RESOURCESREVIEW PANEL - 2004

• Linda Affolder, Chair• Catherine Garvey• Bert Yeudall• Ken Tingley• David Murray• Dorothy Field• Leslee Greenaway• Johanne Yakula• Leslie Latta-Guthrie• Robert Geldart/David HoldsworthThis newsletter is produced in partnership withthe Edmonton Historical Board and the City ofEdmonton Planning and Development Department

Decorating Your Heritage Homefor Christmas

The image many of us have of Christmas today is based onthe Victorian traditions introduced and made popular during

the reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. These Victorianideals and the popularity of “all things old are new again” combineto create a holiday look that finds its finest stage in a heritagehouse.

Heritage houses look best when the choices made for holi-day decorating are in harmony with the style and era of thehouse. Today this is surprisingly easy to do since so many holi-day decorations are replicas based on older ornaments.

During the late Victorian era the new middle class seemedto find it morally reprehensible to have empty, undecoratedspace in their homes. Every corner of hearth and home wasfilled with the accoutrements of wealth, learning, travel andfamily. This type of clutter became a hallmark of that style.

The new century ushered in a more modern, restrained lookthat was suitable for the simpler architectural styles of the era.Arts-and-Crafts styled homes, introduced in the late Victorian pe-riod continued to influence housing styles for another 20 years.Simpler décor, and natural materials created a warm, albeit moreaustere look than its Victorian antecedent. Here are some ideas tocreate the look of a heritage home at Christmas—whether youown one or not:1. Use combinations of natural handmade ornaments with commercial

decorations such as mercury glass figures (first available in 1870).Hang gingerbread cookies from ribbons, or decorate the treewith ropes of popcorn, cranberries, holly berries or peanuts

2. Display hand made gifts from times past. Creating special gifts withone’s own hands was important regardless of the individual’sfinancial circumstances. Many objects that are available todayas collectibles started life as a hand made gift to someonespecial.

3. Display old children’s toys at the base of the tree, on the mantle –anywhere they can be seen. Greeting cards from the past show

toys unwrapped under the Christmas tree, so also display themamongst your wrapped gifts.

4. Decorate the tree with photos (or reprints) of your ancestors’ photos oruse vintage greeting cards to achieve the same effect. Attachthem to garland or hang them from tree boughs.

5. Use flowers freely, especially in the dining room. Botany became avery popular science during the Victorian era. Combine flow-ers with natural greenery, silver candlesticks or crystal to cre-ate a worthy centerpiece, or if you are fortunate enough tohave one, use an epergne. Keep the centerpiece below eyelevel so that your guests can see each other to talk across thetable.

6. Decorate doorways, fireplace mantles, chandeliers and stair banister. Useplain or variegated holly and cedar boughs. Keep it simple ifyour home leans towards Arts-and-Crafts, or add bows orgarland if you like a more decorated look.

7. Don’t forget the exterior of your house. Embellish doorways, veran-das and stairs, and light fixtures with greenery. Decorate yourmailbox, add old skis and pile old or reproduction “Santa”sleighs high with wrapped (empty) parcels on the front porch.

8. When done, sit in your favourite chair and toast your creativity with acup of hot cider, tea, chocolate or brandy! Have a MerryChristmas! Cheers!

Johanne YakulaJohanne Yakula is the owner of From Times Past, an antiques andcollectibles store and decorating service. Contact Johanne at 448-9671or visit her website at www.fromtimespast.com

An oldfashionedChristmasat FortEdmontonPhoto credit:City ofEdmontonCommunityServices

CENTENNIAL BOOKSLooking for more social history of Edmon-ton? Here are some recommended books.• Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie,

City of Edmonton (www.uap.ualberta.caunder UAP Books for more details)

• Edmonton In Our Own Words, LindaGoyette, Carolina Jakeway Roemmich(www.uap.ualberta.ca under UAP Booksfor more details)

• Kidmonton: True Stories of River CityKids, Linda Goyette (http://www.brindleandglass.com/books.htm )

• Walking Tours of Edmonton, KathrynIvany, published by Red Deer Press

Season’sGreetingsAll the best in

2005