Heritage Tours
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Eight Self-Guided Tours of Regina’s Built History Regina Heritage Walking Tours: Eight Self-Guided Tours of Regina’s Built History Fourth Edition, 2007 City of Regina ISBN: 978-1-896348-60-5 Previously published under the titles: Regina’s Heritage Tours: The Cathedral Area The Crescents Downtown General Hospital Area “Germantown” 11th Avenue East Old Lakeview The Transitional Area The Warehouse District City of Regina Queen Elizabeth II Court 2476 Victoria Avenue P.O. Box 1790 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Tel.: 306-777-7000 Fax.: 306-777-6774 www.regina.ca 2 3 Acknowledgements The City of Regina would like to thank William (Bill) Henderson and J. William (Bill) Brennan for their relentless leadership, and members of Heritage Regina for their dedicated support for the publication of this legacy manuscript. In particular, the City of Regina acknowledges and thanks Bill Brennan for his overall review and editing of the text of this publication and his coordination of Heritage Regina's contributors and volunteers, and Bill Henderson for his authorship of the "Architectural Styles" and "Glossary" of definitions sections, and for his contributions to the illustrative graphics of this publication. The City of Regina also acknowledges and thanks the following volunteers for directly assisting in editing the various walking tour sections of this publication: Grace Alexopoulos Bruce Anderson Will Chabun Aydon Charlton Sharon Howell Margaret Hryniuk Keith Knox Susan Luchuck Don Meikle This book was published by the City of Regina in collaboration with Heritage Regina, with the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Cultural Capitals of Canada, a program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The City of Regina also acknowledges the financial support of Heritage Regina, the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, Saskatchewan Lotteries, SaskCulture and the Saskatchewan Centennial 2005. RAC Anniversary 4 5 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . .4 FOREWORD . .5 A TOUR OF REGINA'S BUILT HISTORY . .5 TERMS OF REFERENCE . .5 Name of the Property . .5 Residential Properties . .5 Commercial Properties . .5 Prevailing Names . .5 Year Built . .5 Paragraph Content . .6 History . .6 Architecture . .6 Heritage Status . .6 Heritage Significance . .6 Municipal Heritage Holding Bylaw List . .6 Municipal Heritage Property Registry . .6 Provincial Heritage Property Registry . .7 National Historic Sites of Canada Registry . .7 Municipal Heritage Award . .7 National Heritage Award . .7 MORE INFORMATION . .7 A BRIEF HISTORY OF REGINA . .8 DAYS OF THE BUFFALO . .8 FIRST SETTLERS . .8 QUEEN CITY . .9 TOURS . .11 CATHEDRAL AREA . .11 CENTRE SQUARE AREA . .27 CORE AREA . .97 CRESCENTS AREA . .45 DOWNTOWN AREA . .59 GENERAL HOSPITAL AREA . .77 LAKEVIEW AREA . .111 WAREHOUSE AREA . .129 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES . .143 GLOSSARY . .149 LIST OF PROPERTIES . .157 TRIVIA . .172 BIBLIOGRAPHY . .174 6 7 Foreword A TOUR OF REGINA'S BUILT HISTORY From a train station to the general store or the first neighbourhood, one can follow the evolution of a city through its built heritage. Each building has a story. It can be of distinct architectural design, or one of the earliest buildings constructed in the city, or the home of a famous member of the community, or the headquarters of a 100-year-old company. Through each building, we can learn about the past and discover the history of our city. This book is divided into eight areas that can be toured in two to six hours each. The buildings, properties and streetscapes featured are architecturally and historically significant to the establishment and expansion of the city. TERMS OF REFERENCE The historical information presented in the tours was developed in accordance with the following terms of reference: 1. Name of the Property Properties are named according to the following criteria: a) Residential Properties The name of a family dwelling is usually the name of the first known person to own the dwelling or live there (e.g., Logan Residence). However, if a subsequent owner and/or occupant was of major historical significance, then the residence can be named after both individuals (e.g., Sneath/Douglas Residence) or after the individual with the greater historical significance (e.g., Bole Residence). b) Commercial Properties Commercial and institutional buildings are generally named according to the original owner (e.g., Ackerman Building) or the original principal business occupant (e.g., National Fruit Co. Building) or institutional occupant (e.g., Canada Life Assurance Building). However, if a later owner and/or business was of major historical significance, then the building can be named after either the new owner (e.g., Zurif Building) or the business (e.g., Weston Bread). c) Prevailing Names If the residential or commercial property has been designated under a specific name by the government or a group, other than its initial name, that name will prevail (e.g., Logan/Turgeon Residence, Centennial Mall). If the property is commonly known by a specific name due to unique circumstances, that name will prevail (e.g., "The Pink House"). 2. Year Built The year of construction for a property is generally the year in which the City of Regina issued the building permit and/or the year the property was registered. Some buildings were constructed over a period of more than one year, in which case it is common to indicate the year built as a range of years from start to completion of construction (e.g., Balfour Apartments, built in 1929/1930). 3. Paragraph Content The statement of significance for each property is divided into three major categories: a) History This paragraph includes the year the property was built, followed by historical facts, such as, for whom the property was built; the owners or occupants of note and their significance; historical anecdotes; previous buildings on that site; etc. This section is mostly based on the Henderson Directory, an annual listing of Regina properties and their owners, as well a numerous local publications and resources. 8 b) Architecture This paragraph includes the name of the architect and style of architecture, followed by architectural facts, such as, the name of the building contractor; the cost of construction; materials employed and origin; distinctive architectural elements; additions to the property; etc. The list of architects, architectural styles and the glossary further clarify the specialized terms employed in this tour. c) Heritage Status This paragraph identifies if the property is included on the municipal heritage holding bylaw list, in the municipal heritage property registry, or in the provincial heritage property registry. It also includes awards and commemorative plaques. 4. Heritage Significance The heritage significance of a property is highlighted through its level of governmental designation such as its inclusion on the municipal heritage holding bylaw list or in the municipal/provincial heritage registry, and through public recognition such as awards and plaques. Only the highest level of designation has been included in the tours. Note that some properties can have many levels of designation. a) Municipal Heritage Holding Bylaw List The City of Regina maintains a list of about 254 potential heritage properties protected against demoli- tion or significant change under a 60-day holding period. This allows the City to assess the heritage mer- its of the property and review alternatives to demolition. Two hundred and forty nine of these properties have been included in this.