Other Names:
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Imperial Bank of Commerce
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Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Imperial Bank Building is an imposing two-storey building clad in rough-face sandstone blocks and featuring a balustraded parapet, evenly spaced windows with multi pane upper lights, and cartouches. It sits flush to the sidewalk on a corner facing two major downtown streets, within a context of historic and newer commercial and institutional buildings.
Heritage Value
The Imperial Bank Building (built 1886, renovated in 1909-11), represents the early development of Calgary following the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883, as Stephen Avenue (8 Avenue) near the new train station grew as Calgary's prime retail and professional services area.
The building housed important businesses that served the city and region's rapidly growing pre–World War I population. The trading companies I. G. Baker and Hudson’s Bay were both key suppliers of goods to Fort Calgary and early settlers. Both had trading posts at Fort Calgary, then sought a presence in the newly developing downtown.
This building, along with an adjoining one (Dunn and Lineham Block, later called Lineham Block), were constructed jointly in 1886 for the I.G. Baker Co. and for the entrepreneurs Matthew Dunn and John Lineham. When the Baker Co. left Calgary in 1891, the Hudson’s Bay Co. bought its building and occupied it briefly while constructing its own store across the street, at 102 8 AV SW. In 1892 Imperial Bank bought the building and used it as its Calgary headquarters until 1967. Second-storey offices were rented by a prominent law firm. The building was next owned by the Alberta Government, housing its Historical Resources Foundation at least to 1990. Other commercial owners and users followed.
This was one of the first dedicated bank headquarters in Calgary, helping to establish this section of Stephen AV as Calgary’s banking area, and Calgary as Alberta’s banking centre. Imperial Bank and the Bank of Montreal were the first federally chartered banks to open offices in Calgary, both in October 1886 within days of each other (Imperial arguably the first), with offices in the Lineham Block. A 1902 city directory lists just 4 banks in Calgary: those two plus Molsons Bank and Union Bank. By 1906 there were 11 banks, all nearby on 8 AV. By 1908 there were 13, including an Imperial branch. This growth reflects the faith of major banking corporations in the future of the young city, as its economy expanded beyond ranching into agriculture, natural resources, and, with the CPR, as a regional distribution centre.
This is an excellent example in Calgary of a Classical Revival (Neo-classical) building, contributing to the concentration of late 19th- and early 20th-century commercial structures on and near 8 AV downtown. The original Baker and Lineham buildings were fairly plain, with matching rough sandstone facades enlivened parapets with tall centre peaks. After Imperial Bank bought the Baker Building in 1892, it changed the main entrance, added more windows and doors to the west elevation, and improved the interior layout and decor. A 2-storey (probably rear) addition to house the bank manager was built in 1897.
In 1909-11 the building was significantly transformed into the Neo-classical style, and also further expanded. It is unclear if any of the original building remains except (probably) the structural walls.
Classical Revival was a popular choice for bank and public buildings throughout N. America at this time, associated with the qualities of wealth, strength, stability, and tradition. Other new bank buildings in downtown Calgary used this style: Bank of Montreal (1889, nonextant), Bank of Nova Scotia (1903), Molson’s Bank (1911), and Dominion Bank (1911). The style is evident in the building’s monumental appearance with classically inspired details: roof balustrade, overhanging cornice with block modillions, frieze band, and cartouches. Other style features, removed in the 1940s, were its symmetry with central entrance and “temple” portico. The sandstone used in the building’s construction and facing exemplifies its wide use here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, earning Calgary the nickname “Sandstone City.” The Baker and Lineham buildings were among Calgary’s first constructed in sandstone. This was Calgary’s second sandstone bank, and (since the demolition of the Bank of Montreal) is the only remaining one.
Character-Defining Elements
Character-defining elements of the Imperial Bank Building include, but are not limited to:
- Long-rectangular building; 2 stories plus full basement;
- flat roof, deep moulded cornice with boxed eaves, balustraded parapet;
- sandstone construction faced in rough-face sandstone blocks; sandstone trim including lintels, sills, parapet coping; pressed-metal block-modillion cornice and frieze;
- sash windows with painted-wood frames, single panes topped by multi-pane upper lights; recessed, triple assembly central 2nd-storey window divided by moulded sandstone mullions; other evenly spaced rectangular windows; 2-over-2 sash windows (rear); doors with multi-pane transom lights matching the upper lights of the windows;
- “IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA” in metal applied letters on frieze on two elevations; metal urn-shaped balusters; carved sandstone cartouches; and
- built to lot lines flush to the sidewalk on a corner location; facing two major downtown streets, within a context of historic and newer commercial and institutional buildings.
Location