Crescents Walking Tour
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Regina Walking Tours Crescents 2300 A 2400 2500 2600 3100 3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 TOUR A: CRESCENTS Start: 1. Davin School, 2401 Retallack Street Finish: 60. Creighton Residence, 21 Angus Crescent Legend N Length: 2.6 kilometres Time: 3 hours Property of Heritage Value Property on Municipal Heritage Holding Bylaw Municipal Heritage Property Provincial Heritage Property 64 National Heritage Property Regina Walking Tours Crescents Crescents Area The Crescents Area is historically defined as the area bordered by College Avenue (north) and Wascana Creek (south), and Elphinstone Street (west) and Albert Street (east). Its name is taken from the concentric series of three parallel and semicircular streets first proposed in the original 1883 town-site survey, and further detailed in the historic 1913 plan designed by the prominent landscape architect Thomas Mawson. Prior to its development as a residential precinct, the district featured a half-mile sulky racetrack built in 1883 and was the home of the Regina Golf Club from 1897 to 1921. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) built a railway line in 1911 to service a passenger station on the site of the present Davin Apartments, between Angus and Rae streets. The line entered from the west and followed the back lane north of College Avenue. It was abandoned after the GTPR declared bankruptcy in 1919. Development in the Crescents Area started before the First World War and continued for 30 years. The Crescents area has always maintained a prestigious character, based not only on its architectural merits, but also on its elm-shaded streets, the gentle slope of its topography, and its proximity to downtown, Wascana Centre, and the parklands along Wascana Creek. Photograph: Aerial view of the Crescents Area, circa 1950 Photograh is a courtesy of The Saskatchewan Archives Board, R - A17436 65 Regina Walking Tours Crescents TOUR A: CRESCENTS Start: 1. Davin School, 2401 Retallack Street Finish: 60. Creighton Residence, 21 Angus Crescent Length: 2.6 kilometres Time: 3 hours 1. DAVIN SCHOOL 3. COLDWELL RESIDENCE 2401 RETALLACK STREET 131 CONNAUGHT CRESCENT This 1929 school was built on the land previously This 1930 house was built for Major James owned by Tommy Watson, a dairy farmer who Coldwell, who lived here until 1935. Born in became the area's first milkman. It was named England, Coldwell came to Canada in 1910 at the after Nicholas Flood Davin, who came to Regina in age of 21 and moved to the village of North Regina 1882. Davin founded two newspapers: Regina in 1914. A teacher by profession, he served as Leader in 1883, now the Leader-Post, and The West principal of the Dominion Park and Thomson in 1899. He was also the first person to hold the schools and served in provincial and national federal seat of Assiniboia West, from 1887 until his teachers' organizations. He was a member of city defeat by Walter Scott in 1900. Said to be council in 1922/1925 and 1927/32, and MP for increasingly despondent over this loss, Davin ended Rosetown-Biggar from 1935 to 1958. Coldwell his life with a revolver in a Winnipeg hotel room in served as provincial leader of the Independent 1901. Labour Party and the Farmer-Labour Party. He was This property was designed in the Collegiate Gothic one of the founding members of the Co-operative style by architect Francis Portnall and built by the Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and succeeded J. contracting firm of Bird, Woodhall & Simpson. It is S. Woodsworth as its national leader from 1942 to a valuable architectural legacy of Regina's 1960. Coldwell was also a member of the Canadian ambitious institutional development prior to the delegation to the United Nations charter meeting, 1930s Depression and the Second World War. The held in San Francisco in 1945, and served as Regina Public School Division considered the Canada's representative to the United Nations possible demolition of Davin school in 2002, but General Assembly for four years. was dissuaded by strong public support for its conservation. The building was structurally 4. McINNIS RESIDENCE stabilized and restored in 2003 by the firm of 156 CONNAUGHT CRESCENT Donovan Engineering Ltd. It has been on the This 1928 home was built for Sarah McInnis. John Regina Heritage Holding Bylaw List since 1989 and Robertson, a gravel inspector with the provincial was the recipient of a 2004 Municipal Heritage government, occupied it from 1930 to 1945. This Award in the Exterior Restoration category. simplified Gothic Revival style house was featured in the February 1992 issue of Western Living 2. ORR RESIDENCE magazine. 124 CONNAUGHT CRESCENT This 1929 house was built for Robert Orr, who lived 5. FRAZEN/MacKENZIE RESIDENCE here until 1951. Orr arrived in Regina in 1905. The 2806 COLLEGE AVENUE prominent local sports figure Al Ritchie described This house was built in 1929 for John Frazen, a him as "probably the best Canadian baseball clerk with International Harvester, who lived here player we had in this country." In addition to from 1930 to 1933. Alexander Mackenzie of playing sports, Orr worked for the Canadian Pacific Mackenzie Jewellers owned it from 1939 to 1959. Railway before embarking on a lengthy career in The firm of Van Egmond & Storey designed the the retail sector with the Regina Trading Co. In property in an Arts and Crafts style. It features a 1919, he established his own firm, The Boy's Shop, fieldstone fireplace and front porch. It has been on later named Boys' Shop Inc. the Regina Heritage Holding Bylaw List since 1989. 66 Regina Walking Tours Crescents 8. WATCHLER RESIDENCE 13 LEOPOLD CRESCENT This 1944 home was built for Franklin Watchler in a combination of Mediterranean Italianate and Art Moderne styles. This property has been on the Regina Heritage Holding Bylaw List since 1989. 9. CHAMP RESIDENCE 53 LEOPOLD CRESCENT This 1922 house was built for Wesley Champ, one of three brothers who came to Regina in 1911. Together, the brothers established several restaurants, the Champ's Hotel and the Champlain Hotel. An active supporter of hockey for many Frazen/MacKenzie Residence, 2806 College Avenue years, Champ owned the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League from 1921 to 6. ROSS RESIDENCE 1925. He served on city council in 1929/30. 2368 RAE STREET Frederick Turnbull designed the house in the This 1929 house was built for accountant Kenneth Craftsman style. It features a fieldstone foundation, Ross, who lived here until 1947. Ross came to chimney and terrace, exposed roof rafters and Regina in 1902 as an accountant and founded Ross brackets, an eyebrow dormer in the hipped gable Simmons & LeDrew Insurance. The property roof, and a Neo-Classical influenced entrance with features dormers with distinctive curved roofs, a a fanlight and arched hood over the front door. curved pediment over the main entrance flanked by This property has been on the Regina Heritage glass block sidelights, and a decorative drainpipe. Holding Bylaw List since 1989. 7. FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST 2700 COLLEGE AVENUE This 1928 building was built for the Greek Pentecostal Church. It was later purchased by the First Church of Christ Scientist, and became the home of the local Unitarian Fellowship in 1992. It was designed by the architectural firm of Van Egmond & Storey in the Classical Revival style. The property features a central domed ceiling, Romanesque windows, rosebud medallions, a Greek meander pattern over the east doorway and wooden Doric columns flanking the south doorway. This property has been on the Regina Heritage Champ Residence, 53 Leopold Crescent Holding Bylaw List since 1989. 10. McINNIS RESIDENCE 69 LEOPOLD CRESCENT This 1931 house was built for Bruce McInnis, president of McInnis Brothers Printing, who lived here until 1942. McInnis was a member of city council in 1925/26, 1928/31 and 1933/34. The property was designed in a Gothic Revival style. 11. CRABTREE RESIDENCE 75 LEOPOLD CRESCENT This 1929 house was designed by Francis Portnall for Harry Crabtree, who emigrated from England to First Church of Christ Scientist, 2700 College Avenue Regina in 1912. The Crabtree family sold their 67 Regina Walking Tours Crescents home in 1957 to Emmett Hall, who lived here until popularized by the Chicago architect Frank Lloyd 1961. Hall was a classmate of John Diefenbaker Wright. It features a low-pitched hip roof with wide when he graduated from the University of eaves and dark wooden strips between the first Saskatchewan law school in 1919. Following a and second floors. The application of facing successful career in private practice, Hall was materials creates a horizontal emphasis. appointed Chief Justice on Saskatchewan's Court of Queen's Bench in 1957 and a member of the 14. KNOWLDEN/JOHNSON RESIDENCE Supreme Court of Canada in 1962. He spent ten 121 LEOPOLD CRESCENT years on the Supreme Court and retired in 1973. This home was constructed in 1928 for Harry During his career on the bench and after his Knowlden, who immigrated to Regina from retirement, he headed several royal commissions, England in 1912, with his wife and their two including two on health care and another on grain daughters. Knowlden was the owner and manager transportation in western Canada. of O.K. Stamps, Seals & Stencils. Active in local musical organizations, he was named honorary 12. WATCHLER RESIDENCE president of the Regina Male Voice Choir. In 1951, 77 LEOPOLD CRESCENT Fred Johnson and his wife Joyce purchased the This graceful two-storey frame house was built in house. Born in Staffordshire, England, Johnson 1929 for Franklin E. Watchler, manager of the moved to Regina with his parents at the age of 11. Waterman-Waterbury Manufacturing Co., who He attended Normal school in 1935 and lived here until 1932.