Century Homes Calgary

07/13/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐇𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟐𝟑𝟏 𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐖

Mission has changed a great deal over the years. It was originally established as a French Catholic mission under Father Lacombe and would be called Rouleauville until its annexation by Calgary. Over time, the French identity would fade and demographics would shift. Mission and Cliff Bungalow also saw zoning changes that allowed apartments to be built in the 1930s after being outlawed in 1912. Over time more and more density has been added to Mission, but still so much of the originally character and charm of the area remain.

The Hickey Residence was built in 1912 and is a good example of a late Queen Anne Revival style home. The front façade features a prominent front gable roof with half timbering extending over the front porch with a corner turret and ornamental finial. The house also has wooden tongue and groove eaves with exposed rafter tails and triangular eave brackets.

The home was built for A. Francis Hickey in 1912, who was the manager for Calgary Typesetting Co. The Hickey family lived in this house until 1949, a long tenure for the area. The home was eventually converted into suites by 1970 but retains its appearance as a single family home, which is rare given the ever-growing nature of Mission. 25 Avenue is a corridor connecting Mission to Macleod Trail and much of the street has been redeveloped over the last half century.

Learn more about the Hickey Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

06/30/2026

Historic Calgary Week 2026

Chinook Country: Influences and Icons
July 24-August 3

Our 11-day history festival is back for the 36th year. This year HCW includes over 90 events, comprised of walks, tours and presentations – something for everyone. Please find full information at the link in our bio.

Our theme this year, Chinook Country: Influences and Icons, will explore the places, events and personalities that have been important in the growth and successes in our society. In addition to events in Calgary, you can learn of the interesting past of places such as High River, Okotoks, Chestermere, Cochrane and more.

Again this year, we will have an exhibition of modern photographs of iconic historic places. This year the exhibition will be in the .

Partners include , Calgary Public Library, Heritage Calgary, Glenbow, Burwood Distillery, Calgary Heritage Initiative Society, Calgary Horticultural Society, cSPACE, Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation, McDougall Stoney Mission Society, Museum of the Highwood & High River Visitor Information Centre, Calgary Stampede, Heritage Weavers and Spinners Guild of Calgary, The Inn on Officers Garden and many more.

06/26/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟐𝟐𝟗 𝟑 𝐀𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐄

Crescent Heights was established as an independent village before its annexation by Calgary in the 1907. The village-turned-subdivision is a hodgepodge of different architectural movements and class backgrounds: Crescent Road, obviously, has always been targeted towards the well-to-do, but further away from McHugh Bluff, more working-class homes appear.

The Hillocks Residence is one. The 1912 Prairie-inspired Vernacular home was built at the twilight of the building boom occurring in Calgary. The home was developed by the Reverend Samuel Bacon Hillocks, a Presbyterian minister that came to Calgary in 1905 from Bathurst, New Brunswick. Hillocks was also a lawyer, oilman, newspaperman and politician after resigning from the ministry in 1912. He took advantage of Calgary’s exploding real estate market and financed the construction of at least five other houses on the 200-block of 3 Avenue NE.

Unlike standard Prairie-style homes, the Hillocks Residence does not have a horizontal emphasis due to its narrow lot. The home has much in common with the Craftsman style, but its hipped roof and full-width veranda make it more Prairie.

Learn more about the Hillocks Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

05/24/2026

Written by: RETROactive staff We are pleased to invite you to the third instalment of the RETROactive Live Alberta Heritage Speaker Series. This online webinar will be presented by Heritage Conserv…

05/12/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟐𝟐𝟎 𝟖 𝐀𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐄

Crescent Heights was established as one of Calgary’s first subdivisions. It was initially an independent village that was largely disconnected from Calgary until the Langevin (now Reconciliation) Bridge and the first Centre Street Bridge were built. Eventually Crescent Heights was annexed by Calgary and saw streetcar service extend across the river. The community saw rapid growth up until 1914 when Calgary’s growth and real estate bubble popped. It would take until the mid-1920s for growth to return to Crescent Heights. That growth was fleeting as it came to a halt again during the Great Depression. Like many of Calgary’s early suburbs, it would not fully fill out until after World War II.

The Belbin Residence was built in 1928 at the tail end of the 1920s recovery. It is a modest Craftsman-style bungalow. It was built for Arthur Belbin and his wife Sarah Ann, who moved to Canada by ways of Bournemouth. Arthur worked with the City of Calgary, and bought two lots in 1928 at a discount due to having been seized for tax arrears. The couple built the home on that lot later that year.

Like many other homes in the style and from the time, the Belbin Residence is a scaled-down version of Craftsman. When the style first emerged, it was applied on a larger scale in upper class and professional class communities like Elbow Park in the 1900s. By the ‘20s, the style became more accessible and cheaper to implement. The Belbin Residence is one of the newest additions to the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources.

Learn more about the Belbin Residence and other sites in the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

04/28/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟏 𝟐 𝐒𝐭 𝐍𝐖

The Arthur Bishop Residence was built in 1912 for and by its namesake, Arthur Bishop, a carpenter. It is a substantial two-and-a-half storey Craftsman residence just south of 16 Avenue North. It is a strong example of the style, with fine interior woodwork like moulded door and window casings, a grand staircase, and panelled doors. It also has a large veranda, one-over-one sash windows, a plain-painted wood cornice, belt course, and cornerboards.

The Arthur Bishop Residence stands out for its contribution to Calgary’s gay history. From 1995-2000 it was known as the Black Orchid Manor, a B&B that was a safe and welcoming place for gay men at a time when homosexuality was still not accepted despite its decriminalization in 1969. In a province whose Premier used the Notwithstanding Clause to try to block the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2000, it was an important safe haven for gay men. The residence was designated in 2021 in part for the role it served in this capacity.

Learn more about the Arthur Bishop Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

04/24/2026

04/13/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟔𝟒𝟎 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐝 𝐍𝐖

In the 19th and 20th centuries, North American architects set out to create architectural styles that established a clear identity separate from Europe. While Neo Classical and other European styles stayed and had a strong presence, architects like H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright established styles unique to North America: Richardson developed Richardsonian Romanesque, Sullivan developed Chicago Commercial and the early skyscraper, and Lloyd Wrigh established Prairie architecture, designed to reflect the landscape it was built on.

Calgary’s early years and its location on the prairies made perfect sense for the Prairie style to see use. The Madden Residence, aka the Cook Residence or the Huber Residence, was built in 1911, with William Madden taking possession in 1913. Like many buildings in Calgary, it is not a pure expression of one style, though Prairie is the most prominent one; as it also features Craftsman influences. The residence is a one-and-a-half storey, wood frame home with a rectangular plan with a massive wraparound veranda on its south and east facades. The veranda was originally open, but the glazing was added in in the Inter War period. It has a high hip roof with shed dormers on all four sides, and projecting eaves with exposed purlins.

The Madden Residence was designated by the City of Calgary in 2020 and received a plaque from Heritage Calgary in 2021.

Learn more about the Madden Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

04/02/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐄𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟐𝟏𝟐𝟐 𝟓 𝐒𝐭 𝐒𝐖

Cliff Bungalow was established as an extension of the Mount Royal subdivision and was annexed by Calgary in 1907 to accommodate demand for residential land in a booming Calgary. At the time Cliff Bungalow was considered a part of Lower Mount Royal, followed a grid street pattern, and targeted working-class families. The name Cliff Bungalow was not formally given to the community until much later and got the name from the Bungalow school at the bottom of the cliff separating Upper Mount Royal from the working-class communities.

The Ernest S Leonard Residence was built in 1910 during the early development of Cliff Bungalow by day labourers hired by Anthony Brown and James Taylor. It is one of three nearly identical houses on the street, and was purchased by Frederick John Marshall of Orangeville, Ontario, who then rented it our to Ernest S Leonard.

The Ernest S Leonard Residence is a good example of a toned down Queen Anne Revival style home in a working class context. This can be seen in it asymmetry, hipped roof with a front gable on the southern end of the home, and use of varied materials in its cladding like brick and shingles. Some ornamentation is included, including the discharging-arch lintels above some of the windows and the door frame.

Learn more about the Ernest S Leonard Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

03/11/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟒𝟏𝟔 𝟏𝟏 𝐒𝐭 𝐍𝐖

Hillhurst was one of Calgary’s first suburbs and one of the first communities built north of the Bow River. The community was built on lands subdivided from the Riley family’s holdings in 1904 and then eventually annexed by Calgary three years later. Hillhurst saw significant between then until the lead up of World War One.

Built in 1911, the Thompson Residence is a Foursquare, Prairie-style home that has symbolic value for representing some of the earliest years of Hillhurst’s development. The home was built near the extension of the streetcar line that connected Hillhurst to the rest of Calgary. The Thompson Residence belonged to Theophilus and Charlotte Maud Thompson. The two came from Ontario – Theophilus from Holland Landing and Charlotte Maud from Morrison – and moved to Calgary after they marred in 1905. Theophilus was a plasterer by trade, and took part in the real estate boom in Calgary. He passed away in 1930, leaving the home to his wife, who owned it until her death in 1961.

The Thompson Residence is a good example of a Foursquare layout, Prairie-style home. It is a common design for the period and features wood single cladding and drop siding, a full-width front veranda, squared supports and a hipped roof.

Learn more about the Thompson Residence and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory