Key Number:	HS 22929
Site Name:	Bard Residence
Other Names:
Site Type:	0101 - Residential: Single Dwelling

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			52	24	4

Address:	10544 - 84 Avenue NW
Number:	44
Street:	105 NW
Avenue:	84 NW
Other:
Town:	Edmonton
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:	Georgian Revival
Plan Shape:	Square
Storeys:	Storeys: 2 1/2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Brick
Superstructure:	Nailed Frame
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Hip
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Single Detached Wings: None Number of Bays - Facade: First or Ground Floor, 2 Bays Number of Bays - Facade: Second Floor, 3 Bays Wall Design and Detail: None Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Soffit Roof Trim Material - Eaves: Wood Roof Trim - Verges: Plain Soffit Roof Trim Material - Verges: Wood Towers, Steeples and Domes: None Dormer Type: Gable, Projecting Eaves Chimney Location - Side to Side: None Roof Trim - Special Features: None Window - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Plain Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Wood Window - Sill Type: Plain Slip Sill Window - Sill Material: Wood Window - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Window - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Number of Sashes: One Window - Opening Mechanism: Single or Double Hung Window - Special Types: None Window - Pane Arrangements: 2 over 2 Main Entrance - Location: Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Plain Flat Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening Material: Wood Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 1 Main Entrance - Number of Panels Per Leaf: 1 Main Entrance - Leaves - Special Feature: Glass Main Stairs - Location and Design: First or Ground Floor, Without Railing Main Stairs - Direction: Straight Main Porch - Type: Open Verandah Main Porch - Special Features: Columns Main Porch - Material: Concrete Main Porch - Height: First Storey
Exterior:	Decorated boxed cornice with brackets hip dormer; front open verandah; decorated frieze; mullion windows; lugsills wood columns supports verandah. Classical columns, central entry. Built of brick with stone details, full length porch with a balcony above, crowned with a pyramidal roof and bracketted bellcast eaves.
Interior:	Oak floors, oak sliding doors; stain galss windows; panelled dining room walls. The interior features oak floors, oak sliding doors, stained glass windows, and pannelled dining room walls. The mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems are all original.
Environment:	Neighbourhood: Strathcona The Bard House is situated on 84th Avenue facing south to Strathcona High School. It is flanked by walk-up apartments and newer residences but the neighbourhood has retained most of its residential flavour maintaining for the Bard House much of the integrity of its locale.
Condition:	Good to excellent.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Aquired the land.	1912/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Residence	1912/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Nanton & Munson Jas. B. Millar, Mary O'Keef Delmar Bard Mabel Sharman Mr. Delmar Bard. Ellen Bard Delmar Bard Ella Bard Wilbert & Ellen Bard W. Bard (Oilman) & G. Bard Wilbert Bard Executor Est. of Ellen Bard Mrs. Susanne J. Bard	1898/09/15 1904/08/31 1911/09/16 1911/12/22 1912/01/01 1912/12/13 1943/02/01 1943/02/22 1950/05/19 1956/04/11 1956/06/11 1981/03/17

Architect:	Keith Brothers
Builder:	Keith Brothers
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	The Bard House was built in 1912 for Mr. Delmar Bard, an American who emigrated from St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896. he settled in Strathcona in 1907 and acquired the land for the house in 1912. It was built for $6500, quite a substantial sum of money in those days. Bard had many business interests, aside from his job as a road inspector, and the house reflects his relative position in Strathcona society. The property had many modern conveniences including a central vacuum cleaning system in the house and a small turntable in the driveway near the coach house. The house was elebarate for its time and its appearance indicated that Strathcona now possessed an established upper middle class. Delmar Bard was an Indian Agent at Riviere Qui Barre. 1898 September 15 Owner: Nanton and Munson 1956 April 11 Owner: W. Bard and G. Bard Owner - Mrs. G. Bard 10544 - 84 Avenmue. Tenant - Multi. Original Owner- Mr. D. Bard ***** This house was built in 1912 (building permit was for $6,500.00) as the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Delmar Bard. Mr. Bard was an Indian Agent at Riviere, Que., Barre north of Edmonton. After Mr. Bard died in 1938, Mrs. Bard continued to reside in the house until her death in 1955 at the age of 84 years. The exterior of the house is of brick construction, while the interior features oak floors, oak sliding doors, stained glass windows, and pannelled dining room walls. The mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems are all original. Overall the house is currently in excellent condition. After having resided in Strathcona for only five years, Delmar Bard built what the local press called one of the city's finest homes. He had begun his career in Strathcona in 1907 as an Indian Agent for the provincial government. One did not become wealthy as a civil servant, but Delmar Bard had several investments which enabled him to live in grand style. He owned a butcher shop on Whyte Avenue, and with the income from this business and his government post, Bard was able to invest in various real estate ventures which proved to be very successful. Bard's house was designed by the Keith Brothers and built at a cost of $6,500. The home is an archetypal example of the residences of the wealthy in Strathcona. Built of brick with stone details and a full length porch with a balcony above, the house was crowned with a pyramidal roof and bracketted bellcast eaves. The styling is typical of classical revival designs, but there are several features which distinguish this house from Strathcona's other large brick homes. Attached to the house itself is a spacious flat-roofed conservatory with large windows intended to catch the eastern sun. Located at the back of the lot is a large carriage house with second floor living quarters which has been converted to a garage. Of particular interest was the turntable Bard had installed in the driveway - much like those found in railroad roundhouses - which could rotate a vichicle 180ø and eliminated the worry of backing onto the street. The Bard Residence is still owned and occupied by descendants of Delmar Bard, and was designated a Registered Historical Resource in 1981. * * * BUILDING/SITE DESCRIPTION: The 2 1/2 storey Bard House is faced with stretcher bond brick and capped by a medium pitched hipped roof. It is a typical example of the Neo-Georgian style prevalent in Canada at the time. Designed in 1912 by Keith Brothers for Mr. Delmar Bard, the house cost $6500 and was large even by contemporary standards. It continues to be occupied by members of the Bard family. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Bard House was built in 1912 for Mr. Delmar Bard, an American who emigrated from St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896. He settled in Strathcona in 1907 and acquired the land for the house in 1912. It was built for $6500, quite a substantial sum of money in those days. Bard had many business interests, aside from his job as a road inspector, and the house reflects his relative position in Strathcona society. The property had many modern conveniences including a central vacuum cleaning system in the house and a small turntable in the driveway near the coach house. The house was elaborate for its time and its appearance indicated that Strathcona now possessed an established upper middle class. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: At the time of its construction the Neo-Georgian style of the Bard House was considered to be the most appropriate architectural design for the respected gentlemen of Strathcona. It is a two and one - half storey structure, faced with red stretcher bond brick capped by a medium piched hip roof. It presents a balanced, symmetrical facade typical of the Neo-Georgian style. The Bard house was and is one of the grand residences of Strathcona and represents in its rational design and the quality of detailing, a house type popular throughout Canada and one which reflected a particular class of entrepreneurial businessman. * * * A variety of materials were used in the construction of local commerical and residential building. Wood was commonly used in the first phases of both types of construction, but second homes, and the more substantial commercial establishments were often built of brick which was being manufactured locally as early as 1881. The second period of Strathcona's growth began with the incorporation of the Town on June 15, 1899. Incorporation provided the citizens with a means to regulate the development of their community. Thus throughout the period from 1899 to 1906 the Town Council rather than the Calgary and Edmonton Railway tended to control development. The Council's role included the establishment of municipally owned electric light, water and sewage systems, the construction of a fire hall, street improvements, sidewalk construction projects and drainage works and telephone service through the Edmonton District Telephone Company. The Council also influenced the growth of the community by regulating the types of building materials that could be used in the core area. The impetus for such a by-law was a concern for the prevention of fires and the creation of a fire limit zone. The fire limit zone covered the lots along Whyte Avenue between 103rd and 104th Streets and eliminated the construction of wooden buildings in the core area. These regulations were made even more stringent in 1907, shortly before Strathcona's rise to City status, for the purpose of 'heading off cheap wooden structures which were in the course of erection in the business section of town.' The revisions excluded wood as a significant construction material from the core area in any new buildings or building additions undertaken in the period from 1902 to 1912. Brick soon became the predominant construction material in the period after 1902 which was also a period of considerable redevelopment. One of those in an ideal position to take advantage of the new era of development was Delmar Bard, an entrepreneur from St. Paul, Minnesota. An orphan, Bard had been 'indentured' to a farmer for his keep, but in 1896, he had joined a wagon train to Alberta. He lived in St. Albert until at least 1899, although his occupation at that time is unknown. By 1905, he was employed as an agent at the Alexander Indian Reserve near Riviere Qui Barre, where he married his first wife, Mrs. Ella M. Bard. The family moved to Edmonton's south side in 1907 but did not purchase the site of their future home until December, 1912. The property was registered in Mrs. Bard's name and had been owned previously by Mary O'Keefe of Riviere Qui Barre. Bard was employed by this time as a roads and bridge inspector for the Provincial Government. It is thought that he decided to settle in Strathcona because of lower taxes, but the annexation of 1913 removed even that advantage. The estimated cost of the house was $6500, at that time a rather sizeable sum for a residence, even though the residential building boom had caused a local rise in construction prices. An article in the Strathcona Plaindealer, for May 28, 1912 aptly described the situation: 'The month of May promises to be the banner month for Greater Edmonton in the matter of building, the indications today at the offices of the building inspectors on both sides of the river, pointing to an even larger total for the month than was entered for April, when the permits exceeded two million dollars... The remarkable rate at which residential building is going forward on the South side at present far surpasses all expectations. An estimate in the inspector's office yesterday placed the value of home building for May on this side at about $350,000... 'Of the permits which have been taken out for this side during the past ten or twelve days, the majority are for modern residences, the total value of this class of building exceeds $130,000 for that time.' Bard's house was to be a substantial one, much larger than one might expect for a roads inspector but he was also heavily involved in a variety of business interests. Of, course, land development was the most lucrative of his investments in Strathcona. Mr. Bard also had a part interest in a successful butcher store on Whyte Avenue and from these financial sources he was able to erect a commodious residence in Strathcona's best residential district. The house was constructed with the most modern of conveniences, including a built-in vacuum system indicative of the North American middle class leisure movement of the turn of the century. At the end of the driveway, a 'turntable' was built into the ground, a unique measure designed to avoid backing into traffic and to faciliate the turning of teams and buggies. The house rated mention in the local press even before construction had begun. 'Three handsome residences are to be erected between 1st and 2nd Streets on Second Avenue North this summer for Messr. Bard, Wankel, and Carrigan of this city. The new home for Mr. Bard will be one of the best in the city and excavation for the basement is complete.' The years from 1910-25 saw a revival of interest in the 18th century Georgian concern with architectural simplicity, solid symmetricality, harmonious proportions and austere detailing. Particularly in domestic structures these concerns, found in a style which may be called neo-Georgian, became highly influential in Britain and slightly later, in Canada. At the time of construction of the Bard house, this style was seen as eminently appropriate for the sober, respectable yet luxurious residence of gentleman. The Bard house - 2 1/2 stories, faced with red stretcher bond brick, capped by a medium pitched hip roof, presenting balanced, symmetrical, proportionate facades is a typical example of this type. The generous, solid massing of the house is matched by the clearly marked, symmetrical facades. With the exception of the open shed roofed verandah which sits on a brick base, the struture rests on a solid base of ashlar cut stone. Wooden Tuscan columns and spindle rail support the verandah, which is topped by a secondary entablature consisting of a plain frieze and box cornice with dentils. At either side of the main steps are brick piers topped with stone urns decorated in a vegetative motif. The front facade is broken by a central square-headed aperture conaining a 12 pane glass door with a plain architrave, flanked on either side by one square-headed double-hung 12 pane window. These apertures are echoed symmetrically on the second floor, as are the stone lug sills and lintels. A spindle rail and squat corner piers create a small balcony on the porch roof. The primary entablature contains a box cornice and unusual frieze with dentils across its base. Each of the four hipped dormers has a three-light window divided by vertical mullions and flanked by corner pilasters. On the east facade of the house is a two storey flat roofed conservatory with entrances on two sides. Each entrance is composed of an oversized multi-paned fanlight transom and sidelights framing a square-headed door. Denticulated mouldings enrich the architrave. The west facade is dominated by a large round-headed window. While the interior reflects the ordered facade in its rational orderly division of space, it also clearly marks this structure as a twentieth century dwelling. The free flow of space from one area into another without the constricting walls and passage ways found in Victorian homes is very much a modern planning device. The interior of the Bard house is virtually unchanged since its construction and contains high quality handcrafted woodwork. A spacious entranceway is dominated by a large oak staricase with three flights and two landings. Polygonal fluted oak columns frame the entrance to the sitting room the ceiling of which is decorated with moulded plasterwork. Sliding oak doors lead to the library in which oak wainscotting, a fireplace with an elaborate mantel, and built-in bookcases with diamond paned glass doors dominate the room. The dining room also has oak wainscotting and a fireplace. There are three-inch thich oak floors on the first storey and maple floors on the second. Elaborate stained glass is found throughout the house. The entrance-way is decorated with art Nouveau glass of vertical geometricized floral patterns. The stairwell is dominated by a very large round-headed window in four lights - one semicircular above three vertical. This glass is much more Victorian in design and includes crests and a landscape scene. Stained glass, of especially rich shades, in the library is combined with diamond paned glass. Original light fixtures are in use throughout the house. The brick carriage house has shingled upper storey and segmented arched windows, as well as decorative brickwork above the wide entanceways which have wooden double doors. The Bard house was and is one of the grand residences of Strathcona and represents in the rationality of is design, the quality of its detailing and the coherence of its interior and exterior space, a housing type popular throughout Canada, and one which reflects a certain social class and how it chose to live. The house has been continuously occupied by members of the Bard family from the time of construction. It remains as one of the largest, and perhaps least altered, of the many fine residences constructed in Edmonton, North and South, during the boom period of 1908-12.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Municipal Historic Resource Provincial Historic Resource	1998/06/23 2000/06/30

Register:	A96

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0682