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Robert and Mary Taylor Residence
Calgary
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Robert and Mary Taylor Residence, built in 1912, is a two-storey Classical Revival style dwelling faced in red brick and trimmed with rough-faced sandstone. The house features a full-width front veranda and is differentiated by a Palladian-type attic window. It fits within a early Twentieth Century residential streetscape that faces parkland along the Elbow River.
Heritage Value
This house is architecturally significant as one of the more substantial, high-quality and stylistically prominent examples in the community. The building’s quality, pressed red-brick facades, sandstone detailing, ample size and generous front veranda distinguish the house. Like many house of the period, the house is a stylistic hybrid, although elements such as its Palladian-type attic windows, pedimented veranda, stylized transom light and original panelled balustrade lend the house a Classical Revival-style character. Other features such as the wood-shingle detailing, tapered veranda supports and plain interior staircase temper this characterization but contribute to the attractiveness and visual interest of the residence.
Elbow Park was one of Calgary’s first planned suburbs. In 1907 former ranch land owned by Colin George Ross and Felix McHugh was annexed by the City, then subdivided into lots and sold or brokered by Freddy Lowes with the goal of creating an upper-class district. This was one of Lowes’ first, of many, real estate ventures in Calgary. The wide boulevard along the Elbow River, following the existing land contour, was a highlight of the subdivision plan. This property is on that prominent street.
A few houses were built in Elbow Park starting in 1909, but building mainly began in 1911, and peaked in 1912. A streetcar line served Elbow Park by 1910. By 1915 at least half the existing building stock had been constructed. The northern part of the neighbourhood was the most developed, with the subsections of Glencoe and Rosevale (where this house is located) densely filled. Other parts of Elbow Park remained little developed until new waves of building in late 1920s (cut short by the Depression) and, more significantly, the late 1940s and early 1950s.
The block where this house sits held five homes by 1913, with six additional homes built between 1918 and 1931; this collection of 11 historic houses remains intact.
This property is representative of the housing constructed in Elbow Park to serve the city’s burgeoning middle and professional classes during its pre–World War I population boom. While some estate homes were built in Elbow Park during that period, most were attractive and comfortable wood-frame dwellings–the brick façades of this house makes it relatively unique. The substantial, high-quality character of the house aligns with the original intentions of creating a high-class residential district.
Many houses of the period were constructed on a speculative basis by individual builders and small scale contractor/developers. This house and 3427 next door were owned and developed by contractor Thomas Montgomerie, who came to Canada from Scotland in 1908. Although listed as living in Calgary only in 1912, he owned and developed at least 18 houses in the city between 1909 and 1913, in Elbow Park, Bridgeland, Sunalta, and Bankview. He was also hired as a builder by other owners. Upon completion, this house was purchased by an owner in Ontario who never occupied the house. It subsequently served as a rental property for decades, likely owing to the fact that the economy and real-estate market experienced a major recession by the middle of 1913, not long after the house was completed which altered the plans of the original buyer to either occupy of sell the property.
This house had seven residents through 1931, including an oil company employee, bank supervisor, bank manager, two business managers, and prominent Calgary lawyer and entrepreneur Jacob Barron (1916) who later settled elsewhere in neighbourhood. Isaac Marks, of Kosher Meat Market, rented the house from 1932 through 1940. From 1948 through 1974, it was the home of Robert and Mary Belle Taylor and their son Don, with tenants living in an upstairs suite with kitchen. The Taylors assumed ownership in 1961 and were the longest occupants in the home’s history. The Bella Concert Hall at Mount Royal University is named for Mrs. Taylor, thanks to sponsorship by the Taylor Family Foundation, chaired by Don, founder and former CEO of the Calgary-based firm Engineered Air.
Character-Defining Elements
Character-defining elements of the property include, but are not limited to:
- two- storey rectangular form and side-hall plan and bay window protrusions;
- hipped and cross gable roof with prominent front gable, closed eaves with tongue-and-grove soffits, brick chimney with corbelled cap;
- wood-frame construction faced with pressed, red-brick cladding in stretcher bond;
- wood-shingle gable and bay window cladding, rough-faced and smooth sandstone sills and lintels;
- concrete foundation with rough-faced sandstone detailing including water table;
- fenestration with rectangular, one-over-one, hung, wooden-sash windows, wooden storm sashes and two Palladian-type attic windows;
- panelled, wooden, front doorway assembly with sidelights (and wooden storm sashes) and transom light with muntins forming a stylized ‘fan’ pattern, exterior and interior glazed and wood-panelled doors;
- open, full-width, front veranda with tapered wood columns on brick piers with rough-faced sandstone caps and wooden, tongue and groove ceiling;
- interior features include enclosed pantry/serving area with arched doorway, wood flooring on first storey and stairway, staircase with plain balustrades and newel posts, wood panelled doors, radiators with moulded decorative patterns;
- deep set back on grass-planted lot in residential setting, facing parkland along the Elbow River on opposite side of street.
Location
| Street Address: |
3423 Elbow Drive SW |
| Community: |
Calgary |
| Boundaries: |
Lots 7 and 8, Block D, Plan 7850AH |
| 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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24
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9
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02
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
7850AH
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D
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7, 8
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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51.02391 |
-114.07835 |
Digital Maps |
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: |
2014/04/14 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1912/01/01 |
| Period of Significance: |
N/A |
| Theme(s): |
Peopling the Land : Settlement
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| Historic Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Current Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Architect: |
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| Builder: |
Thomas Montgomerie/day labour
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| Context: |
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Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4664-0312 |
| 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 Calgary |
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