Alberta Register of Historic Places

Burns Building

Calgary

Other Names:

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place
The Burns Building is an early twentieth century, six-storey building situated on two lots in the central business district of downtown Calgary. Constructed between 1912 and 1913, the Burns Building embodies the Chicago style of architecture in its reinforced concrete framing, grid-like fenestration pattern, terra cotta decorative elements, and prominent upper level cornice.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Burns Building lies in its association with Patrick Burns,
Calgary cattle mogul and Canadian Senator, and its representation of the Chicago style of architecture.

Born into a humble Irish background in Ontario, Patrick Burns travelled to western Canada in the late 1870s to seek his fortune. He initially worked as a homesteader and freighter before discovering his natural niche in the cattle trade. Burns capitalized on the boom in railway activity in the 1880s by supplying cattle and fresh meat for railway workers in the Canadian West. In 1890, he arrived in Calgary, a settlement that was rapidly emerging as the heart of the vast ranching territory of southern Alberta. Initially, Burns provided meat to the railway, mining and lumber camps, and the Blood Indian reserves; as Calgary grew, he responded to increasing demand from retail stores. Over his decades in Calgary, Burns diversified and expanded his business, vertically integrating the ranching, packaging and retailing arms of his operation, introducing sheep and hogs to his stock inventory, and adding fruit stores and creameries to his small empire of ranches and meat shops. Burns became Calgary's first millionaire and a significant civic figure; he was one of the "Big Four" who provided the financing for the first Calgary Stampede. His prominence did not go unnoticed outside of his provincial environment: the New York Herald christened him the "Cattle King of the British North-West", the Pope knighted him, and Prime Minister R. B. Bennett appointed him to the Senate in 1931.

The Burns Building expresses architecturally the entrepreneurial spirit and civic prominence of its namesake. Erected between 1912 and 1913 during the pre-World War One construction boom in Calgary, the building is one of several built by distinguished and well-financed citizens as both investments and symbols of their economic and social clout. One of Burns' retail meat markets was located on the ground floor. Influential local architect William Stanley Bates designed the Burns Building, and his vision incorporates many of the innovative construction techniques and aesthetic features of the Chicago style of architecture. The skeletal structure of the building was constructed according to the "Kahn system," a pioneering construction method associated with the Chicago style that features steel reinforced concrete framing. Other features of this style evident in the Burns Building include the grid-like fenestration pattern, flat roof, terra-cotta sculpted elements, and the division of elevations into three distinct sections - a ground floor level with store windows, a collection of central storeys, and a top level containing a prominent cornice. Some of the severity of the Chicago style has been tempered by the entablature above the second storey and the impressive wrought iron canopy at ground level. At the time of its construction, the Burns Building also boasted a luxurious interior with marble finishings and stairways. Office space in the building was leased to some of the most eminent professionals in the city.

Source: Alberta Arst, Culture and Status of Women (File: Des. 865)

Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Burns Building include such features as:
- mass, form, and style;
- flat roof with dentiled terra-cotta entablature forming top floor parapet;
- dentiled terra-cotta entablature above second storey;
- terra-cotta sheathing and sculpted decorative elements, including "BURNS BUILDING" set in relief;
- wrought iron canopy at ground level;
- fenestration pattern;
- entrance lobby containing original interior marble finishings, mosaic tile flooring, and stair railings.

Location

Street Address:	237 - 8 Avenue SE
Community:	Calgary
Boundaries:	Lots 19 and 20, Block 61, Plan A
Contributing Resources:	Building: 1

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD
5	1	24	15	10 (ptn.)

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel
A A	61 61	20 19

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
51.045141	-114.058385	GPS	NAD 83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	1987/07/20

Historical Information

Built:	1912 to 1913
Period of Significance:	1912 to 1937
Theme(s):	Developing Economies : Extraction and Production Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design
Historic Function(s):	Commerce / Commercial Services : Market Commerce / Commercial Services : Office or Office Building Commerce / Commercial Services : Shop or Wholesale Establishment
Current Function(s):
Architect:	William Stanley Bates
Builder:	Norton - Griffiths Steel Construction Company of Vancouver
Context:	The Burns Building is associated with one of Canada's most remarkable entrepreneurs. Patrick Burns was born in Ontario of poor Irish immigrant parents, moved to Manitoba as a young man, and became involved in supplying meat to railway crews during the 1880s. He came to Calgary in 1890, when the ranching industry was rapidly expanding, and during the following decade was engaged in supplying beef to the railway, Blood Indian reserves, lumber and mining camps, and a growing number of retail outlets. He created a base for his slaughtering and storage operations in East Calgary, and after the turn of the century he bought several large ranches on which he raised his own cattle. As an advocate of livestock diversification, Burns led Alberta's entry into sheep ranching and hog raising. Constantly striving to expand his enterprise, he branched out into related industries and new areas of food production. Before World War One he was known to be Calgary's wealthiest resident and one of its largest employers. The 'Cattle King of the British North-West,' as the New York Herald called him, was eventually named a senator by Prime Minister Bennett. He died in 1937. During Calgary's pre-war building boom, it was common for wealthy businessmen to erect commercial buildings that would symbolize their importance and, at the same time, serve as profitable investments in a time of soaring real estate prices. The Burns Building, which was ready for occupancy early in 1913, was termed 'palatial' by the Calgary Herald. The huge ground floor meat market was the most lavishly outfitted store of its kind in the city, and the upper floors were designed to provide the most attractive, comfortable, and modern office facilities available. Initially, the building attracted numerous doctors and dentists as tenants, as well as real estate agents, barristers, and insurance agents. The Calgary Power Company rented offices on the fourth floor, and, after the discovery of oil at Turner Valley, several oil and gas companies were attracted to the Burns Building. By 1920, however, the rate of occupancy was diminishing, and the building gradually declined in prestige. It lost its association with P. Burns and Co. Limited in 1923 when it was sold to the Investment Registry of London, England, and subsequently the building changed hands several times. Its fortunes were affected not only by poor economic conditions but also by the fact that it had been built on the eastern fringe of the commercial district, which would continue to shift westward. The proximity of the Burns Building to Calgary's civic buildings, to working-class neighbourhoods and the industrial area of the city was reflected in its occupancy from the Depression onwards as relief agencies, trade unions, and the City of Calgary rented space on its upper floors.

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-0554
Designation File:	DES 0865
Related Listing(s):
Heritage Survey File:	HS 17989
Website Link:
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. 865)