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Cobblestone Manor
Cardston
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Cobblestone Manor is a sprawling one-and-one-half storey stone building located on a single lot on the south bank of Lee's Creek at the western limits of Cardston. The home features unusual, asymmetrical massing and a cobblestone exterior.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Cobblestone Manor lies in its unusual and distinctive architectural style.
In 1893, church authorities in Utah sent Joseph Young to Cardston to assist in the establishment of the Mormon community in southern Alberta. Young built a two-storey log home to serve as his residence. In 1913, this home was acquired by Henry Hoet, a reclusive Belgian finishing carpenter. During his years in Cardston, Hoet became acclaimed for his exquisite craftsmanship on such sites as the monumental Mormon Temple in the community and the elegant Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton. Between 1913 and 1929, Hoet significantly reshaped Young's home, encapsulating the initial residence into a much larger and more ornate construction. He embellished the exterior with cobblestone facing, added new rooms, and crafted complex, beautiful hardwood finishings for the home's walls, ceilings, and furniture. Some of the exotic woods he employed in the home were leftovers that Hoet took from the temple worksite. Other woods and glass came from Italy and other parts of Europe. Hoet's labours of love resulted in a remarkable building that encases a significant structure from early Mormon settlement in Alberta within a home evincing a unique design sense and consummate craftsmanship.
Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 1093)
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Cobblestone Manor include such features as:
- complex, rambling mass and form, reflecting the home's evolution and expansion under a series of owners;
- exterior and chimneys of "cobblestone" or rounded river rock;
- original window and door openings, and extant original windows on upper east facade;
- wide eaves supported by braces;
- original log cabin structure as it is reflected in the main floor plan and a surviving original window now enclosed within the building;
- the remarkable design, level of craftsmanship, and high quality materials evident in such interior elements as the honeycombed main floor ceilings fashioned from costly hardwoods, trims, cobblestone fireplaces, built-in cupboards and bookshelves, and Tiffany lamps of Italian glass.
Location
| Street Address: |
173 - 7 Avenue West |
| Community: |
Cardston |
| Boundaries: |
Lot B, Plan 7710921 |
| Contributing Resources: |
Buildings: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
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Mer |
Rge |
Twp |
Sec |
LSD |
4
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25
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3
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9
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7 (ptn.)
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
7710921
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B
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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49.192636 |
-113.306661 |
Secondary Source |
NAD83 |
UTM Reference:
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Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Province of Alberta |
| Designation Status: |
Provincial Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
1982/09/10 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1893 to 1893 |
| Period of Significance: |
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| Theme(s): |
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design
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| Historic Function(s): |
Residence : Single Dwelling
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| Current Function(s): |
Commerce / Commercial Services : Eating or Drinking Establishment
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| Architect: |
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| Builder: |
Joseph Young
Henry Hoet
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| Context: |
HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
Cobblestone Manor was originally built as a log structure in the early 1890s by Joseph Young. Young was sent to Cardston in 1893 by Utah church officials to assist in establishing the Mormon Colony. When built, the original structure was one of only two two-storey houses in Cardston. In 1913 it was acquired by Belgian immigrant Henry Hoet. Hoet come to Cardston as a finishing carpenter to work on the Alberta Temple and was also employed on the construction of the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton. Between 1913 and 1929 Hoet replaced the original logs with stone and added additional rooms made entirely of stone.
Cobblestone Manor still has as its core some sections of Joseph Young's 1893 log house, which was radically altered and stands today as a monument to both commitment and craftsmanship. Low and rambling, the structure is not particularly coherent in plan or massing, but rather is significant primarily for its material and detailing. Houses faced in cobblestone are rare in Alberta, and in this case the material was used also for tall chimneys and on interior fireplaces. Hoet designed and excuted complex ceiling and trim from rare hard-woods imported for the Alberta Temple, scraps of which he could salvage. The unusual proportions of the doors and windows were designed by Hoet. Some alterations, particularly to the roofline, have altered the structure's appearance but its essential ambience is intact.
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Additional Information
| Object Number: |
4665-0480 |
| Designation File: |
DES 1093 |
| Related Listing(s): |
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| Heritage Survey File: |
HS 18438
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| Website Link: |
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| Data Source: |
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch, Old St. Stephen's College, 8820 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P8 (File: Des. 1093) |
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