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Delton Grocery
Edmonton
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Delton Grocery is a one-storey commercial building in Edmonton’s Delton neighbourhood. Located at the northwest corner of 88 Street and 122 Avenue, the wood-frame structure is identifiable by its low-pitched gable roof, rectangular plan, and boomtown front.
Heritage Value
Built in circa 1914, Delton Grocery is valued for its association with the early development of the Delton neighbourhood. The building is further valued for its representation as an early commercial building integrated into a residential neighbourhood.
The Delton community is named after Edward Delegare (Del) Grierson, who came to Edmonton in the 1890s while working with the Canadian Pacific Railway, and went on to own property on Jasper Avenue. In the early 1900s, Grierson served a number of terms on Edmonton City Council. Grierson owned the Queen’s Hotel on Jasper Avenue and 98 Street, and in 1903, rebuilt the Alberta Hotel across the street. Both buildings overlooked what would later be named Grierson Hill along the river valley. In the early part of the 1900s this road, which did not then run all the way down the hill, was called Grierson Street. In 1933, City Council re-named it Grierson Avenue, and it later became known as Grierson Hill. The name of Delton for this area has been in use since 1907, and it has been part of Edmonton since 1908.
The opening of Delton Grocery in 1914 coincides with the early growth of the Delton community, and an increase in local residents needing convenient grocery services. It is a surviving example of a type of commercial building often integrated into a residential community, once common in Edmonton, but now difficult to find intact. Commercial uses of this nature were small in scale, and were generally intended to serve the needs of the nearby community.
Delton Grocery is valued aesthetically for its distinctive corner grocery appearance, which is still largely original, despite some introduction of new exterior cladding materials. It features a simple and functional commercial design, and also includes a typical boomtown façade. The corner entrance is oriented to both 122 Avenue and 88 Street.
Delton Grocery features a commercial design on a rectangular plan, with the short façade of the building facing 88 Street. The one-storey building has a low-pitched gable roof, with flush eaves and verges. The east (front) elevation is characterized by the boomtown façade and large window openings. It appears that the general fenestration pattern on this façade is largely original; however, building drawings submitted with an application add an awning to the building in 1955 indicate that the openings themselves were likely larger, with a transom window at the top. The transom portion appears to have been removed or covered over at some point in the past, but the lower portions seem to be generally consistent with the 1955 plans. The windows themselves have been replaced. A small window has been introduced on the upper level on the east elevation to accommodate a small living space in the attic level.
The south elevation presents a long frontage on 122 Avenue, and features three window openings, all of which appear to be original. The window near the main entrance has been replaced, but the two windows at the west end are original. The main entrance is built into the corner of the building, which was common for small-scale commercial buildings at the time. The entrance opening is original; however, the door itself has been replaced. At an unknown date, the exterior cladding was replaced with vinyl siding on all four elevations, including the boomtown façade.
The first entry of the building in the Henderson’s Directory is from 1914, and indicates a “Delton Meat Market” owned by Ada Horne. It has been known under different names, such as Cornish Meat and Grocery through the 1930s to the 1950s. It is possible that at some point, particularly during the early years, it may have been used only as a residence.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Delton Grocery include, but are not limited to its:
-location at the northwest corner of 122 Avenue and 88 Street;
-form, scale and massing as expressed by its one-storey height;
-wood frame construction;
-low pitch gable roof;
-boomtown façade;
-single-door corner entrance at southeast corner of building;
-original fenestration pattern; and
-brick chimney.
Location
| Street Address: |
12202 - 88 Street NW |
| Community: |
Edmonton |
| Boundaries: |
Lot 20, Block 33, Plan RN94 (XCIV) |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building
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ATS Legal Description:
PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
RN94 (XCIV)
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33
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20
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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53.5769009 |
-113.4766885 |
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NAD83 |
UTM Reference:
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Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Local Governments (AB) |
| Designation Status: |
Municipal Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
2019/09/24 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
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| Period of Significance: |
N/A |
| Theme(s): |
Peopling the Land : Settlement
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| Historic Function(s): |
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| Current Function(s): |
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| Architect: |
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| Builder: |
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| Context: |
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Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4664-0055 |
| Designation File: |
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| Related Listing(s): |
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| Heritage Survey File: |
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| Website Link: |
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| Data Source: |
City of Edmonton (POSSE: 290102633-003) |
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