Key Number:	HS 29084
Site Name:	Old Courthouse / Court House #2
Other Names:
Site Type:	1304 - Governmental: Court House

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			23	1	5

Address:	530 - 7 Avenue SW
Number:	30
Street:	5 SW
Avenue:	7 SW
Other:
Town:	Calgary
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:	Neo Classical
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Metal
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Plain Boxed Cornice Wall Design and Detail: Pier or Pilaster Wall Design and Detail: String or Belt Course Wall Design and Detail: Plain Parapet Wall Design and Detail: Stepped Parapet Wall Design and Detail: Carving Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Frieze Roof Trim - Eaves: Brackets
Exterior:	Two stone belt courses above first storey windows. One stone belt course above second storey windows. Plain cornice and plain frieze above second storey belt course. Parapet on north, partial east and west elevations. South elevation projecting entrance has stepped pediment above first storey door with the provincial crest carved into pediment; two free and two engaged pilasters are above pediment; cornice with dentils. Plain frieze, and decorative brackets above pilasters; decorative old lamps on immediate door surround; double-leafed door. Structure: sandstone blocks; first and second storeys: cut stone, coursed with smooth dressed finish; basement: cut stone, coursed with natural finish; stone on south elevation projecting entrance has rusticated finish on horizontal portion of blocks. Central projecting entrance with coupled Tuscan columns. * * * Architect: Provincial Architect, A.M. Jeffers who also designed the Legislature building in Edmonton. Jeffers, a native of Rhode Island was trained in the United States. During the construction Richard P. Blakey (a Scottish born and trained architect) succeeded Jeffers and subsequently modified the plans in an effort to reduce costs. Contractor: Principal contractor Quinlin - Carter Limited. Public Accounts Records indicate a large amount of work on the building was undertaken by day labour. Other contractors included; the Western Canada Stone Company, Carter-Mather Lumber and Supply Company, W.Head and Company (plumbing and heating) and Flesher Marble and Tile Company. Construction materials: A steel superstructure, locally quarried sandstone, smooth dressed in upper storeys, rock-faced at the basement level.
Interior:	Marble entrance, oak trim, cement floors, bevelled glass entrance door, wood wainscotting. Cells in basement; offices, district and supreme courts on either side of full-length hall, on main. Library, offices, district, criminal, civil and appeal courts on second. * * * Original interior details: terrazzo floors, " two storey marble clad foyer featuring a grand double staricase leading up to the courtrooms on the second floor." Wood panelled wainscots in the courtrooms, ceilings range from 12 to 17 feet high. Basement - courtroom for juvenile offenders. Ground floor included various officers of the court; the sheriff, clerks of the supreme and district courts. Judges' chambers and judges' private rooms on the north side of the corridor. Second floor - district court, criminal court, civil court and court of appeal, law library.
Environment:	31 containing three and ten hundredth (3.10) acres more or less, excepting thereout: corner cut-offs 1867 J.K., ptn; and street widening 1801 L.K., 0.07 acres. Close to downtown core. Surrounded by beautiful gardens. Set on a large lot. Block 31 containing three and ten hundredth (3.10) acres more or less, excepting thereout: corner cut-offs 1867 J.K., ptn; and street widening 1801 L.K., 0.07 acres.
Condition:	Condition: Good. Repair: Good. (1978). Excellent (1975).
Alterations:	1924. Interior is being renovated for provincial government offices.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Plans drawn up Construction completed	1912/01/01 1915/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Courthouse Glenbow Museum Courthouse, Office Building Vacant	1915/01/01 1964/01/01 1976/02/26 1977/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Province of Alta, Public Works Supply and Services.	1977/03/15

Architect:	A.M. Jeffers
Builder:	Quinlan-Carter Ltd.(Engineers).
Craftsman:	Unknown
History:	The need for proper court facilities arose with the implementation of judicial districts in 1886. The tasks of procuring suitable facilities fell under the jurisdiction of the Dominion Department of Public Works which assumed responsibility for design along with construction and maintenance costs. The first such expenditure in Alberta occurred at Calgary, the newly-designed judicial and administrative seat for the District of Alberta, in 1886. In that year a section of an existing Immigrant shed was converted into a court room a judge's office as a temporary measure. Construction of a permanent court house began two years later... Measuring 91' x 51' the original Calgary Court House was the largest such building erected within Alberta by the Dominion Government during the Territorial period.... Alberta's population climbed from 185,000 to over 376,000 in the 6 years following the achievement of provincial status. Construction of public buildings became a major priority of the Provincial Administration during this period of rapid settlement ....The spirit of boundless optimism which had motivated large expenditures on public works during the years immediately following establishment of the Province of Alberta began to fade after disclosures in 1911 of serious over-subscription in railway and irrigation company securities by the provincial government. In Calgary where a (subsequent) phenomenal growth rate had made the existing 1889 court house obsolete, plans proceeded for construction of a new building in 1912....A.M. Jeffers prepared plans for a large rectangular structure measuring 173' x 80', but lacking both the ornate exterior entrance treatment and complex interior layout of the earlier building... Jeffers' career as supervising architect ended abruptly within a month of his completion of the Calgary Court House plans. He was immediately succeeded by Richard P. Blakey, a Scottish- born and trained architect who had served as an assistant under Jeffers since 1907. Blakey modified the ...plans, further reducing the classical detailing...Despite these efforts to curb expenses, the new building's final cost when completed in 1914 was over $280,000 making it the most expensive court house yet built in the province and the third most costly public building after the Legislative Assembly and Provincial Asylum at Ponoka. Completion of the Calgary Court House marked the end of the initial phase of provincial court house construction in Alberta.' This was one of the last buildings in Calgary constructed of sandstone. First court house was demolished in 1958. * * * 1912 January - plans drawn - Jeffers. 1912 February - plans drawn (Blakey) 1913 October 4 - overdraft $29,200. 1963-1974 - occupied by Glenbow foundation as museum. Largest surviving courthouse in the province dating from pre-1914 period. 1915 - cost of constructing building was $200,000. 1915-1928 - Calgary's first museum was housed in the basement. 1962 - lawcourts moved to a new building and old building was then occupied by Glenbow-Alberta Institute. 1975 - Glenbow vacated the premises and the building was then taken over by the provincial government. Administrator: R. Williamson 427-3875. Manager: W.J. Acheson 161 -6271. Building superintendent: D. Barrow 161 - 7211. Cost $200,000. (Estimated). Actual $280,830.15. * * * HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE: Constructed 1912-1914 to replace Calgary's first court house which had been built in 1888. (The first court house was demolished in 1958.) It served as Calgary's Court House for 48 years. The basement was used temporarily to house the Calgary Natural History Museum. A new court house was opened in 1962, and this building was occupied by the Glenbow Museum, which opened to the public in 1964. Its smooth sandstone construction reflects a trend to a more massive and heavy appearance than that evident in Calgary prior to the turn of the century. The style is typical to government structure of that era, being somewhat similar to the old Edmonton Court House (demolished in 1972). * * * Brief History The Old Court House, located on Seventh Avenue and Fifth Street S.W. was completed in 1915 to supplement the original Court House (Circa 1888), which located on the site of the present day Court House. This old sandstone building functioned as Calgary's Court House until 1962, when the new Court House was completed. Two years later, in 1964, the Glenbow Alberta Institute moved in and operated a museum until vacating in the summer of 1975. Since then it has functioned as temporary accommodation for courts, court reporters, clerk and sheriff, as renovations to the Court House have been made. In the fall of 1976, the building will again become vacant and a decision as to its future will have to be made. * * * Architectural style: Classical Revival. An austere structure with little decorative detail. Ornamentation was confined to a pair of Ionic columns flanking the arched main entrance in the central bay. Long rectangular plan. Historical highlights: - second courthouse built in Calgary, the first had been built in the same block in 1888 by the Federal government and torn down in 1958. - similar in design to the original Land Titles Building erected on the same block and demolished in 1970. - largest surviving courthouse in the province dating from pre 1914 phase of construction. - one of the last Calgary structures built of sandstone. By 1915 the sandstone quarries had closed. - 1962 - new $4 million courthouse( # 3 ) opened on 4th Street S.W. and courthouse # 2 was vacated. Provincial government originally intended to tear it down but Calgarians successfully lobbied to retain the structure. - 1964-1975 - # 2 courthouse housed the Glenbow Alberta Institute Museum. - 1975 - 1976 # 2 courthouse opened again briefly for court use during renovations to the # 3 courthouse. - 1977 # 2 designated as a Provincial Historic Resource. - 1980 local papers reported that some consideration had been given to converting the "old courthouse" into Government House South, but these plans were scrapped. - by 1983 Gerald L. Forseth Architect Limited had been hired by Alberta Public Works to develop plans for the renovation/restoration of courthouse # 2. - renovations reviving many of the building's original qualities were completed in 1986. The building was returned to courthouse use and offices for the Provincial Court of Appeal. The rehabilitation won a citation from the American Institute of Architects and an award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Original cost: $280,000. It was the most expensive courthouse built to date in the province and the third most costly public building after the Legislative Assembly and Provincial Asylum at Ponoka.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Municipal A List Provincial Historic Resource	1977/02/15

Register:	01-169

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0429