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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Heritage Calgary, #205-505 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB (2026)

06/01/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟗 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐝 𝐍𝐖

For the most part, West Hillhurst did not see significant development until after WWII. Despite being annexed around the same time as Hillhurst and Sunnyside, West Hillhurst failed to see significant real estate development given its relative distance to the rest of Calgary. Like nearby Parkdale, real estate speculators were ambitious but the 1906-1913 boom burst before there was much uptake in the area.

The Field Residence was built in 1892, long before West Hillhurst was established let alone annexed. In fact, the Field Residence was not built in West Hillhurst – it was moved from its original location at 510 11 Ave SW in the Beltline circa 1945. The transplanted house stands out as most of the surrounding houses were originally strawberry box Victory Homes built for returning soldiers.

The Field Residence was built for the chemist/pharmacist John Field and his wife Eliza. John ran his business on Stephen Avenue. It later belonged to Fred and Margaret Jones, who oversaw the relocation of the home in 1945 as its original home was converted into a parking lot. Today the original location of this home is an office block in the Beltline.

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

05/29/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞

The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw architectural movements pushed by American architects, who wanted to create new styles unique to this side of the world. Before, everything had been largely influenced by European movements. But with American Exceptionalism and nationalism exploding, architects like Henry Hobson Richardson, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright began shaping North American architecture to mixed results.

Frank Lloyd Wright is thought of as the pioneer of the Prairie School. Lloyd Wright came from Chicago, a sea of skyscrapers confined to the shore of Lake Michigan on one side and surrounded by farmland and prairie on the other sides. Lloyd Wright saw inspiration in Chicago’s habitable surroundings and recreated it in built form. Prairie style buildings have a horizontal emphasis, recreating the wide and sweeping landscape. They are most often residential, but sometimes the style is used for other purposes. Prairie style homes are spread out over their lots and have flat or shallow hipped roof lines, rows of windows, overhanging eaves and bands of stone, wood or brick. Inside, they typically have open floor plans and emphasize the use of natural materials.

Skilled and expressive architects like Lloyd Wright also played with light by using coloured glass and carefully placed windows. Simpler versions of the Prairie School would have closed floorplans more akin to Foursquare, a type of Craftsman where each floor is divided into four rooms. Foursquare was popular for its simplicity and repeatability, and was used heavily by housing catalogue and plan pattern book companies. Like Art Deco, the Prairie School did embrace the machine to a degree, and Prairie-inspired Foursquare homes from catalogues exemplify this.

Learn more about the diversity of architectural styles in our city at the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

05/25/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – 𝟑𝟐𝟏𝟎 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐯𝐝 𝐍𝐖

Parkdale was one of many communities established in Calgary during its first boom and the result of the real estate speculation that occurred then. Real estate developers Scott and Hartfronft envisioned Parkdale being a professional-class streetcar suburb, and while a streetcar line servicing Parkdale opened in 1911, Parkdale did not take off until the 1950s. Calgary had annexed a great deal of land to accommodate growth, but the boom went bust between 1913-1914, and only a few homes were built in Parkdale’s early years.

The Withrow Residence weas built in 1911 and is one of roughly a dozen homes built in the Parkdale area when it was founded. The home is representative of the vision of being Parkdale being an area for the professional class. The home’s first owner was Edwin P. Withrow, who worked as a branch manager for the Dominion of Canada Guarantee and Accidental Insurance Company, today a part of The Travelers Companies. Withrow lived in the house from 1912 until 1918, though it is not clear where he went afterwards.

The residence was built in the Craftsman style, a movement which emphasized the quality of the materials and the skill of the builder. It has a distinctive roofline with a gable-on-hip form with broad bracketed eaves.

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

05/22/2026

Reimagine and own a piece of local history!

The Ogden Block—built in 1913 and once home to the Hong Lee Laundry—is looking for a new home. With construction underway, it must be relocated to make way for construction of the future Ogden Station for the Green Line LRT – SE Project.

The City will donate the building and offer up to $50,000 to help cover relocation costs.

Know a group or organization with big ideas and space for a little history? Tag them or share this post or click below to learn more and fill out an application.

👉 Learn more: https://www.calgary.ca/realestate/detailstab.html?name=item_1578576333

05/22/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨 & 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞/𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞

During and after the Industrial Revolution, architectural movements never really embraced the outcomes of it. Victorian styles had some ornamentation that benefited from mass production, but Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Craftsman, and the plethora of Revival movements shunned the Industrial Revolution. Even Chicago Commercial Style covered up the advancements in construction techniques with revival-inspired facades. Art Deco was the first major architectural style to truly embrace the Revolution, emerging in time to celebrate the Machine Age, the Jazz Age, and the bubble-fueled enthusiasm of the Roaring ‘20s.

Art Deco modernized many classical elements like pilasters and entablatures. It also references ancient cultures which were being rediscovered and celebrated at the time like Egypt and Sumer’s ziggurats. Art Deco emphasizes symmetrical geometry and vertical orientation. Façade materials include brick, cast stone, terra cotta and stucco, with alloys, vitrolite and glass block as accent materials.

Art Deco embodied the Roaring ‘20s which came to a screeching halt in October 1929. Art Deco then felt too decadent, too ornate, and too expensive and fell out of favour in favour of a substyle that blended Art Deco with the International movement. Art Moderne – also called Streamline Moderne – emerged as a toned down Art Deco that still felt like its parent style even though it rejected many elements. Unlike Art Deco, Art Moderne had a horizontal emphasis and encouraged asymmetry. It had very little in terms of ornamentation and primarily used stucco as a façade material. The style also features horizontal bands called speed lines. Finally, Art Moderne has a vaguely nautical feel to it, with rounded corners, porthole windows and railings all evoking that sentiment.

Learn more about the diversity of architectural styles in our city at the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

05/19/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 (𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝) 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 – 𝟏𝟎𝟓-𝟏𝟎𝟕 𝟖 𝐀𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐖

When Canadian Pacific Railway decided to build its depot and station on the west side of the Elbow River, the whole of Calgary shifted from Inglewood to today’s downtown. The depot and station were built on 9 Avenue, which was lined with hotels catering to all sorts of markets. A block north ended up being called Stephen Avenue after the president of CPR, George Stephen, and would go on to be Calgary’s main street. Dozens of businesses popped up on this road, with real estate investors and backers building highly-detailed commercial buildings.

The Glanville (Ward) Block was built in 1899 and is made to look like two matching buildings side by side: one half three storeys tall and the other two storeys. It was built for Senator James Lougheed, who rented it out to Robert John Hutchings and Great West Saddlery Co. The next tenant was John Glanville, who operated a dry goods store until 1911 when the R.H. William Humble Dudley Ward bought the building from Lougheed. Ward owned several properties in Calgary and managed the Prince of Wales’s business and property interests in Alberta. He was also a highly-ranked member of the British Liberal Party and was at one point considered to be a potential successor to David Lloyd George until he was scandalized by the revelation that his wife Freda had been having a long-term affair with the Prince of Wales. After retiring from politics, Dudley Ward moved to Calgary, still managing the Prince’s properties. He died in Calgary in 1946 and is buried in Union Cemetery.

The Glanville (Ward) Block has been on the Inventory since 1982 but was recently re-evaluated, with more information about the building being learned.

Learn more about the Glanville (Ward) Block and other sites on the Inventory here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

05/18/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

Please join us on Monday, June 15, 2026, for Heritage Calgary’s Report to the Community at The Heather Edwards Theatre in Contemporary Calgary from 2-4pm.

As part of the event, we will discuss Calgary’s Olympic history and the legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympics with people representing the past, present and future of our Olympic legacy.

Following the panel, you are invited to join us for refreshments and networking.
Buy a ticket at the link below: https://civicrm.heritagecalgary.ca/form/2026_report_to_community

05/16/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥

Like any other revival movement, Classical Revival harkens back to a different time. The style emerged in the 1890s and was a reaction to the eclectic nature of Victorian styles, Like the Chicago Commercial Style, it made its grand entrance to the world at the 1893 World Fair. While Chicago Commercial was forward looking and introduced massive leaps forward in design and construction, Classical Revival looked back to the past as America started embracing its emerging imperial tendencies. Classical Revival became popular in Europe, too, along with their colonies and associated states.

Victorian styles embraced the Industrial Revolution. Factory-made building parts and ornamentation led to more affordable and larger homes, but it also created a sense of alienation. Some people also found the eclectic and asymmetric nature of Victorian styles unappealing, and appreciated the order and symmetry found in past styles. Various architectural styles have been inspired by the Greek City States and the Roman Empire even as both faded and fell. The Romanesque movement was inspired by simpler forms seen in the Roman Empire. Baroque, Rococo, Italianate and other Renaissance styles embraced elements from Classical and Antiquity.

Pediments, rectangular fenestration, centrally-located main entrances, and other elements like entablatures and cornices mark the style. Classical Revival embraced key design elements from past Classical movements. Unlike Baroque and Rococo from the Renaissance, Classical Revival was more restrained but still had plenty of ornamentation, though it was typically handcrafted and a part of the built form. Quoining, pilasters, columns, garlands, and floral patterns were all integrated into the façade and at least pretends to be necessary to the construction of the building, whereas ornamentation in Victorian movements was mainly decoration for decorations sake.

Learn more about the diversity of architectural styles in our city at the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources here: heritagecalgary.ca/explore-inventory

05/15/2026

Congratulations to our past summer student, Katie Qin, on winning a 2026 White Hat Award for her exceptional service as a tour guide!

Before leading a tour group down Stephen Avenue, Katie Qin does her homework. when visitors from Tulsa, Oklahoma signed up one morning, she researched their city and discovered a shared history from early oil booms and wove it into the walk. They were so moved they tried to tip her. She told them to spend it at a local restaurant instead. That is Katie in a nutshell.

A recent University of Calgary history graduate, Katie joined Heritage Calgary as a program assistant and promptly grew summer tour attendance by more than 300 per cent. She also co-authored a book on how culture and community shape Calgary's food scene. History in her hands never feels like a lecture.

Congratulations Katie, we're proud to present you with your White Hat Award!

05/11/2026

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

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Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm