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Edworthy Residence, Homestead Lands and Quarries
Calgary
Other Names:
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Edworthy Park; Shaganappi Ranch
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Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Edworthy Residence, Homestead Lands and Quarries are 140 acres now part of Edworthy Park. The land is bounded by the Bow River on the north, Sarcee Trail on the west and Wildwood subdivision on the east and south. The land comprises the river plain, a deep coulee extending south to north and the wooded escarpment and an upland terrace of the Plateau below Sarcee Trail. These land elements originally supported and still contain all of the remains of the elements of the activity of the Edworthy homestead: the residence, the former sandstone quarries, the original yard site and the fields, gardens, orchards, barnyard, roads, trails and irrigation works of the agricultural operations.
Heritage Value
Thomas Edworthy was well known pioneer, a major land holder, commercial agriculturist and industrialist in Calgary and among the earliest of pioneers in the town and area. He was well connected with prominent members of early settlement society through his commercial activities.
The Edworthy homestead land was settled at the beginning of Calgary’s pioneer era in 1885 and is a rare surviving example of a pioneer homestead in Calgary. It is representative of the agricultural activities associated with the farms and commercial gardens that surrounded and defined Calgary in the early pioneer era. The upland was used for livestock ranching and cultivating hay fields. The lower escarpment and river plain was used for grain crops and market gardens. There are existing remnants of two irrigation systems. The irrigation systems supplied water to the home and barnyard site from a spring on the escarpment and the second, to the cropland and orchard trees on the river plain, from a river bank water bank intake, sluice and ditches. This technology indicates a committed approach to agricultural production. The commercial farm and its crops, notably potatoes, were important to the supply of food for the citizens of Calgary in the settlement era.
The Edworthy residence exemplifies the additive manner in which many early structures in Alberta were constructed using local and salvaged material and basic construction techniques. Its form and design are derived, not from an architect or stylistic trends, but rather reflect this process. A portion of the Edworthy residence is the oldest verified log structure in Calgary, built in 1883, before Thomas Edworthy acquired legal title to the land in 1891. Edworthy built the two storey section built in 1896 using standard framing techniques. With the majority of this residence built prior to the twentieth century it represents Calgary’s earliest examples of Vernacular residential buildings.
The Edworthy homestead land is also associated with sandstone quarrying which was one of the most important commercial ventures in Calgary’s early history. The use of sandstone as a primary building material characterized Calgary from the 1880s through the 1909-13 boom, leading to Calgary being called “Sandstone City”. Stone from the Edworthy quarries was used in many historically prominent buildings in Calgary, including the Norman Block, Pat Burns mansion and the McKay house. Thomas Edworthy operated three sandstone quarries on the property. The largest quarry extended over some 15 acres on both sides of the main coulee, the others on the escarpment below. The quarry works were substantial with derricks to lift the stone and mechanized wagons on graded roads to carry the cut stone to the railway on the river flat below. The quarry operations by the Edworthy family ended with Thomas’ death in 1904, with the quarries leased to and operated thereafter by others and known as Bowbank Sandstone Quarries until 1914.
Thomas’ son, George Edward Edworthy, extended the family’s prominence as a leader in civic and business affairs. He served as the Canadian manager of United Grain Growers, president of the Calgary Stampede and a director on many foundations and boards. He also carried on the agricultural activities and lived in the homestead house from 1952-62.
The City of Calgary purchased the land in 1962 leading to the land becoming a park bearing the family name and to the preservation of the historical activities on the land. While agricultural activities have ceased, the yard site, fields and spaces enclosed by shelterbelts and orchards remain in the original configurations. The residence was added to the province’s Historic Resource Register in 1987. It has sentimental value for Calgarians as a unique and treasured play space and serves as a symbol of Calgary's earliest roots. The prominent hill, coulee and rows of shelter belt trees are visible from the north side of the Bow River and above from the south and west.
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character include but are not limited to its:
-The natural topography of the escarpment and coulees that accommodated quarrying of the land;
-The pattern of the upland hay field set in remnants of native grassland;
-The yard site spring and water supply system including the storage vessel, sandstone reservoir, constructed water ways and pond;
-The original configuration and defined spaces of the yard site, barnyard and agricultural fields;
-The yard site trees and shrubs: including willows, fruit trees and a hybrid poplar tree planted by the Edworthy family;
-The three sandstone quarry sites originally operated by Thomas Edworthy including the exposed sandstone, drill marks, rubble piles and excavations for the derrick footings;
-The roadways and trails associated with the agricultural and quarrying activities;
-The layout and spaces of the fields, gardens, orchard on the river plain defined by the trees and shrubs planted by George Edworthy Sr.;
-The river plain trees: including native White spruce, hybrid poplars, Siberian and other crab apples, and shrubs: caragana commonly planted for field shelter, lilac and honeysuckle - planted by George Edworthy Sr. on the river plain;
-The earthwork ditch remnants of the river plain irrigation system;
-The original 1883 one-storey log cabin built of Douglas fir logs; and
-The rectangular two-storey pitched roof wood frame 1896 addition; with bevelled wood siding and accent scalloped shingles at gable ends; two bay windows of which the front is topped with a balcony.
Location
| Street Address: |
5050 Spruce Drive SW |
| Community: |
Calgary |
| Boundaries: |
Portion of SW, NW and NE 24-24-2-W5; Block 11, Plan 7986GW; Block 26, Plan 975HC and Block 36, Plan 4941HC |
| Contributing Resources: |
Collection: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
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Mer |
Rge |
Twp |
Sec |
LSD |
5
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2
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24
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24
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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51.060996 |
-114.157334 |
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NAD 83 |
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: |
2014/08/26 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1883 to 1883 |
| Period of Significance: |
1885 to 1905 |
| Theme(s): |
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| Historic Function(s): |
Food Supply : Farm or Ranch
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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
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