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Brown Residence
Olds
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The two and one-half storey Brown Residence has a hipped roof, clapboard siding with wood shingles in the gable ends, and an intersecting pediment gable over a two-storey bay window. The full-width open front porch with open spindle railings has four round pillars that support a hipped roof with a pediment over the front entrance. It is located on three lots of a residential street in the town of Olds.
Heritage Value
The Brown Residence is significant for its association with the Brown family, for its Foursquare design, and for its association with the theme of early residential development in Olds.
The Brown Residence is valued for its association with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brown, who built this large home in 1911. Mrs. Henry Brown was a storekeeper and a milliner who operated a boarding house for single girls from this residence from the time of its construction until 1913. The house was used as a rooming house for boys attending Olds Agricultural School from 1913 until 1925, and during the Spanish Influenza pandemic in 1918 Mrs. Brown organized meals for flu victims. Many young people in the town called the Brown Residence home in the early decades of the 1900s, and their experiences helped to shape Olds’ social atmosphere at the time. The Browns sold the home to local businessman A.D. Bussard in 1925, who lived in the home for 42 years.
The Brown Residence is an important architectural heritage resource for its Queen Anne influenced design. The large, two and one-half storey house was built with a modified Queen Anne design. Built with the characteristic two storeys and hipped roof, this residence has an asymmetrical façade with offset two-storey bay windows with pediments on the front and side façades. Elaborate porches are a common feature of Queen Anne design, and this house has a full-width open front porch with open railings and four round pillars supporting a hipped roof with a pediment over the front entrance. The original circa 1911 fieldstone wall still marks the front edge of the property.
Built by Henry Brown in 1911, the Brown Residence is a significant representation of early residential development in Olds. The first decade of the 20th century was a prosperous one for Olds, which was incorporated as a Village in 1896 and then as a Town in 1905. A number of homes and businesses were built in the 1900s, reflecting the economic prosperity and population growth. This home was built as a residence and used to accommodate a number of unmarried youths who moved to the growing town of Olds looking for new opportunities. The Brown Residence is one of the older homes in Olds, and is a tangible reminder of early residential development in the community.
Source: Town of Olds Bylaw 2009-16.
Character-Defining Elements
The character defining elements as expressed in the form, massing, and materials of the 1911 two and one-half storey Brown Residence include:
Exterior Elements:
- The hipped roof with intersecting pediment gables over two-storey bay windows on the front and side façades
- The clapboard siding with corner boards and trim boards
- The wood shingles in the gable ends
- The full-width open front porch with open spindle railings and four round Tuscan order columns supporting a hipped roof with a pediment over the front entrance
- The brick chimney
- The original board and panel door with a nine-paned window
- The original fieldstone wall at the front edge of the property
- The pattern, style and construction of all original wooden windows
Interior Elements:
- The hardwood floors
- The wooden fireplace mantel
- The patterned frosted glass windows in the upper sashes of some windows
- The board and panel sliding pocket door
- The wood moulding and trim
- The built-in cabinetry with square posts above
- The board and panel doors and original hardware
- The decorative iron grates covering the vents
- The original light fixtures
Location
| Street Address: |
4809 - 49 Avenue |
| Community: |
Olds |
| Boundaries: |
Lots 4 to 6, Block 8, Plan 2186H |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
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Mer |
Rge |
Twp |
Sec |
LSD |
5
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1
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32
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32
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15
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
2186H
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8
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4-6
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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51.79293000 |
-114.102650 |
GPS |
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: |
2009/09/14 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1911 to 1911 |
| Period of Significance: |
1911 to 1925 |
| Theme(s): |
Peopling the Land : Settlement
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| Historic Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Current Function(s): |
Commerce / Commercial Services : Hotel, Motel or Inn
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Architect: |
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| Builder: |
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| Context: |
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Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4664-0209 |
| Designation File: |
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| Related Listing(s): |
4665-0753
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| Heritage Survey File: |
HS 13147
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| Website Link: |
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| Data Source: |
Mountain View Museum & Archives
P.O. BOX 3882
5038 50th Street
OLDS AB T4H 1P6
File: MHR001-2009 |
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