|
Old Post Office Building
High River
Other Names:
|
Former High River Town Office
|
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Old Post Office Building is a 1931, two-storey brick building with a projecting, angled-corner entry located on a corner lot at the intersection of High River’s historic Macleod Trail, and one of the main downtown commercial streets. It features an upper cornice that wraps around the two main facades. The main, and secondary, entry has a Tyndall stone entablature and pilasters with decorative curved brackets. The resource does not include the 1972 single-storey addition on at the rear or the patio addition on the west side of the structure.
Heritage Value
The municipal heritage value of the Old Post Office Building is directly associated with its contributions to developing High River as an urban municipality, and is demonstrated most significantly through its architecture. The Old Post Office Building has also achieved landmark status within the community. There is also significance in the resource for its association with the provincial themes of Urban Development, and Politics and Government.
The resource was constructed in 1931, during the height of the Depression by the federal government. The Post Office was located on the main floor and an armory on the upper floor for storage of equipment belonging to the local militia unit. Constructed for $30,000, this was said to be the only federally financed project during the Depression, largely because Prime Minister R.B. Bennett owed the local Member of Parliament, Dr. G.D Stanley a favour. In the early 1970s the Post Office was moved to a new location, and this building became the municipal office for the Town of High River.
Heritage value exists in the building being the only representation of a small scale federal government building in the region; and in its architecture, which is stylistically termed as a ‘Modern Classical,’ displays a simplification of design, while retaining a measure of conservatism and formality. This building presents a dignified appearance while being functional. It features an upper cornice which wraps around the facades facing the public streets. The building is clad with brick in a Flemish bond, along with stack bond detailing and triangular brick pattern insets between the main and upper storey fenestrations that incorporate square and diamond-shaped Tyndall stone inserts. A similar but simple pattern occurs above the cornice along the parapet. An upper course of bricks vertically positioned wraps the building just below the upper cornice, and ties directly into the same lintel pattern over the fenestration openings. The projecting, angled entry-way creates a high profi le entrance to the building, and both the main and secondary entries have a Tyndall stone entablature and pilasters with decorative curved brackets. The building retains its original fenestrations for windows and doors. The window openings have tyndall stone lug sills.
Located on the historic Macleod Trail, the Old Post Offi ce Building has been a focal point for the community since it was constructed more than 80 years ago. Its original use as the Post Office for the town drew residents to the building for postal services, and then as the municipality’s Town Hall, it again had a high profile.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements include:
• Mass, form, and scale of two-storey building;
• Brick-clad Flemish bond;
• Brick stack bond;
• Rectangular brick pattern between the upper and lower fenestration openings that contains square Tyndall stone corners, and a diamond brick pattern surrounding a diamond-shaped Tyndall stone insert;
• Upper level cornice on two facades facing public streets;
• Projecting, two-storey angled main entry with pilasters, and Tyndall stone entablatures supported by decorative curved Tyndall stone brackets;
• Slightly projecting, two-storey secondary entry on side street with same tyndall stone pilaster, entablature, and decorative curved bracket features;
• Fenestration openings and Tyndall stone lug sills;
• Horizontal course of vertically positioned brick below upper cornice and transi oning into the same pattern of brick lintels over the fenestration openings;
• Brick detailing and square Tyndall stone inserts above cornice along parapet; and
• “1931” date stone above cornice over main entrance.
Location
| Street Address: |
129 - 3 Avenue SW |
| Community: |
High River |
| Boundaries: |
Lot 37, Block 2, Plan 7410972 |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building: 1
|
ATS Legal Description:
PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
|
Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
7410972
|
2
|
37
|
|
Latitude/Longitude:
|
Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
|
50.579887 |
-113.874095 |
|
NAD 83 |
UTM Reference:
|
Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Local Governments (AB) |
| Designation Status: |
Municipal Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
2003/03/03 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1931/01/01 |
| Period of Significance: |
N/A |
| Theme(s): |
|
| Historic Function(s): |
Government : Post Office
|
| Current Function(s): |
|
| Architect: |
|
| Builder: |
|
| Context: |
The Old Post Office Building was constructed by the federal government to serve as the Post Office building for the Town of High River and area. Mail service in High River began in 1885, in the community’s fi rst store. From then until 1931, the postal service moved from business to business until this building was constructed in 1931, during the height of The Depression, a time when the government was involved in very few major construction projects. |
|
|
Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4664-0124 |
| Designation File: |
|
| Related Listing(s): |
|
| Heritage Survey File: |
|
| Website Link: |
|
| Data Source: |
|
|