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West End Telephone Exchange
Edmonton
Other Names:
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Oliver Exchange
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Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Constructed in 1913, the West End Telephone Exchange is an Edwardian-era, two-storey, masonry structure, with 1949 and 1962 additions, located in Oliver.
Heritage Value
The West End Telephone Exchange is significant for its architecture and associations with the development of Edmonton’s public telephone utility and prominent Edmonton architect Allan Merrick Jeffers.
The West End Telephone Exchange is significant for its Edwardian influenced architecture as expressed through its modest ornamentation and strong symmetry.
The West End Telephone Exchange is significant for its association with development of Edmonton’s municipally owned telephone utility. Edmonton was an early adopter of telephone technology. In 1881, Alex Taylor began Edmonton’s first telephone service and operated it privately until 1905 when it was purchased by the City of Edmonton with the intention to operate it as a public utility. Edmonton experienced rapid growth in the period prior to World War One and in order to provide adequate telephone service to its citizens construction of two new telephone exchanges began in 1912; the North End Exchange in Spruce Avenue and the West End Telephone Exchange in Oliver . These exchanges housed some of the first automatic switching stations in Canada, a major technological advancement relative to the standard manual switching systems.
The West End Telephone Exchange is significant for its association with prominent Alberta Architect Allan Merrick Jeffers. Jeffers, who designed the building, served as Alberta’s Provincial Architect from 1907 to 1912 and as Edmonton’s City Architect from 1912 to 1914. Jeffers designed a number of significant building throughout Alberta, including the Legislature, Athabasca hall at the university of Alberta and Government House.
Character-Defining Elements
The Edwardian Style architecture of the West end Telephone Exchange is expressed in character defining elements such as:
-prominent corner location and minimal setback;
-form, scale and massing;
-overall symmetry of the building;
-distinctive raised parapet at the north gable;
-distinctive multi-paned semicircular attic window;
-horizontal masonry banding and cornice ;
-the pattern, style and construction of all windows; and
-cast concrete parapet cap, sills, keystone and door lintel inscribed with the words ‘Telephone Exchange’.
Location
| Street Address: |
12021 - 102 Avenue NW |
| Community: |
Edmonton |
| Boundaries: |
Lot 17A, Block 20, Plan 1723133 |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building
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ATS Legal Description:
PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
1723133
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20
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17A
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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53.542737 |
-113.530179 |
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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: |
2018/04/24 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1913 to 1913 |
| Period of Significance: |
1913 to 1913 |
| Theme(s): |
Developing Economies : Communications and Transportation
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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: |
4664-0084 |
| 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 (Bylaw 18012) |
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