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W.M. Craig House
Olds
Other Names:
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W.M. Craig Residence
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Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The two and one-half storey W.M. Craig Residence has a hipped roof with an intersecting gable roof dormer above the front entrance. The front façade has an open wrap-around verandah with a hipped roof supported by round pillars, and a corner tower with an octagonal roof. It is located on two lots on a residential street in the town of Olds.
Heritage Value
The circa 1905 W.M. Craig Residence is significant for its Queen Anne style, for its association with W.M. Craig, and for its association with the early residential development in Olds.
The Queen Anne style of the W.M. Craig Residence contributes to the heritage value of the home. Classic Queen Anne style elements can be identified on the home, including an asymmetrical façade, a steeply-pitched hipped roof with asymmetrically located cross gables, and an octagonal two-storey tower. The design of Queen Anne style homes tends to avoid flat wall surfaces, and the use of architectural details such as the tower, the intersecting pedimented gables, as well as different textures of wood cladding on the W.M. Craig Residence exemplify this tendency. The classical columns on the open verandah identify this home as the Free Classic subtype of Queen Anne design. The W.M. Craig Residence is one of the best examples of Queen Anne style in the town of Olds.
The W.M. Craig Residence is valued in Olds for its association with early resident W.M. Craig. The first of four Craig brothers to emigrate west from Quebec, W.M. Craig established the “W.M. Craig & Co.” dry goods store in 1898. His brother C.G. Craig became a partner in the business venture after he arrived in Olds in 1907, and the brothers continued to operate the store together until the death of W.M. Craig in 1924. Each of the four Craig brothers built impressive homes on 50th Street in Olds, and this Queen Anne style residence is a tangible reminder of the positive influence entrepreneurs such as W.M. Craig had on the town.
An association with the theme of early residential development in Olds contributes to the historical importance of the W.M. Craig Residence. The home was built circa 1905, around the same time that Olds was officially incorporated as a Town. The first decade of the 20th century was a prosperous one for many communities in Alberta, including Olds, and this prosperity resulted in increased residential construction to accommodate the growing centre. The large size and impressive design of the residence make it one of the town’s more elaborate and recognizable houses built during this period.
Source: Town of Olds (Bylaw 2011-05 and Bylaw 2012-05)
Character-Defining Elements
The character defining elements as expressed in the form, massing, and materials of the 1904 two and one-half storey W.M. Craig Residence include:
• The hipped roof with intersecting pediment gables, and a tower with an octagonal conical roof
• The clapboard siding with trim boards and skirting boards and wood shingles in the gable ends
• The two-storey bay window on the side façade under the pediment gable
• The wrap-around open verandah with open spindle railings and a hipped roof supported by round pillars with square capitals and bases
• The brick chimney
• The pattern, style and construction of all original window openings
Location
| Street Address: |
4706 - 50 Street |
| Community: |
Olds |
| Boundaries: |
Lots 9 and 10, Block 26, Plan 2387F |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
2387J
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26
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9, 10
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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51.791 |
-114.098 |
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: |
2011/02/28 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1904 to 1905 |
| Period of Significance: |
1905 to 1943 |
| Theme(s): |
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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: |
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| Context: |
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Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4664-0383 |
| 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: |
Town of Olds, Community Services, 4512 - 46 Steet, Olds, AB T4H 1R5
(File: COM - 00 - 06 - 09) |
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