Key Number:	HS 14380
Site Name:	Strathcona Public Library
Other Names:
Site Type:	0309 - Educational: Library or Archives

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			52	24	4

Address:	8331 - 104 Street
Number:	31
Street:	104
Avenue:	83
Other:
Town:	Edmonton
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:	Classical Revival
Plan Shape:	Irregular
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Brick
Superstructure:	Stone
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Single Detached Wings: None Number of Bays - Facade: First or Ground Floor, 3 Bays Number of Bays - Facade: Second Floor, 9 Bays or More Wall Design and Detail: None Plain Eaves Roof Trim Material - Eaves: Concrete Roof Trim - Verges: Not Applicable Roof Trim Material - Verges: Concrete Towers, Steeples and Domes: None Dormer Type: None Chimney Location - Side to Side: None Roof Trim - Special Features: None Window - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Plain Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Wood Window - Sill Type: Plain Slip Sill Window - Sill Material: Wood Window - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Window - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Number of Sashes: One Window - Opening Mechanism: Single or Double Hung Window - Special Types: Round Window - Pane Arrangements: 2 over 2 Main Entrance - Location: Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Plain Flat Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening Material: Wood Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 2 Main Entrance - Number of Panels Per Leaf: 2 Main Entrance - Leaves - Special Feature: Glass Main Stairs - Location and Design: First or Ground Floor, Open Railing Main Stairs - Direction: Straight Main Porch - Type: Open Porch Main Porch - Special Features: Columns Main Porch - Material: Concrete
Exterior:	Ionic columns at front door, front open porch gabled parapet, projecting cornice, sash windows. Limestone.
Interior:	Original fireplaces removed in 1948. Children's library added in 1948 - it has since been removed. The second floor has apparently developed structural flaws that cannot support heavy loads.
Environment:	Neighbourhood: Strathcona Old Strathcona Preservation area
Condition:	Structure: Good Repair: Fair PRESENT CONDITION: The present building still houses the Strathcona Branch of the Edmonton Public Library on the lower floor while the upper floor is structurally too weak to hold books. The building appears to be in good condition.
Alterations:	1948 - renovations were carried out. Replacement metal windows with false mullions.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Construction Started	1913/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Offices Library	1913/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
James E. Smith & Cameron City of Strathcona Edmonton Public Library Board, City of Edmonton	1903/05/16 1910/02/11 1916/02/16

Architect:	Wilson & Herrald
Builder:	W. Dietz
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Negotiations for the construction of the Strathcona Library were carried out coincident with the amalgamation of Edmonton and Strathcona. After turning down a Carnegie Foundation Grant of $15,000 the library was built and paid for by the amalgamated city in 1913 at a total cost of $27,000. The grandiose structure with its English Renaissance architectural features was designed by Wilson and Herrald and constructed by W. Dietz, both Edmonton firms. This imposing structure has been a focal point in the Strathcona area throughout the past six decades. Round window at front surrounded by limestone; cupola on roof. Elaborate chimneys on North and South. Estimated cost $ 25,000. Registered Historic Site. Present Owner - The City of Edmonton. Oldest remaining library in Edmonton; third floor no longer used by library due to structural weakness. Mechanical electrical systems require work. ***** On May 7, 1910 a petition from the citizens of Strathcona was presented to City Council requesting a public library. The Strathcona Library Board was organized in 1910 and later entered negotiations with Mr. Andrew Carnegie for a grant from his library fund. He offered $15,000.00 but the Board turned down the offer believing that the rapid growth of Strathcona justified a larger and better library. A bylaw was presented to the rate payers for the issue and sale of debentures of $25,000.00. The bylaw was carried but the debentures were not sold nor any advances made on them before Strathcona amalgamated with Edmonton. The library was completed in 1913 at a cost of approximately $27,000.00. The architects were Wilson and Herald while the contractors were W. Dietz for the structure, and W.H. Carter for plumbing and heating. Renovations were carried out in 1948 converting the basement to a childrens library and the original fireplaces were removed. The basement and ground floors are currently in good condition while the second floor is no longer in use for safety measures. The floor has apparently developed structural flaws that cannot support heavy floor loads. Mechanical and electrical systems are outdated requiring modernization. The exterior is generally in good condition. *** As early as 1907, plans were being made for a public library for Strathcona, but events intervened which delayed their realization. In 1907 the newly incorporated city was too busy with plans for a city hall and market to address the need for a library. Later, a Carnegie grant was turned down when the sum offered was not large enough to cover the city's plans. Finally, Strathcona got its library in 1913 as part of the Edmonton-Strathcona amalgamation agreement. The design of the Strathcona Public Library is typical of the larger early twentieth century educational buildings in western Canada. It is predominantly brick, but is embellished with limestone detailing in a very restrained classical style. One of the main features of the design is the string courses which articulate the floor levels and windows. These courses add a horizontal element to what would otherwise appear a rather tall, narrow building. The wide stone cornice and, at the front of the library, a gable with an oculus, brake the upward movement of the eye and, in effect, add another horizontal element. A wide stone staircase, ionic columns and curved pediment grace the front entrance and give the building a sense of gravity and dignity suitable to a place of learning. The offices of the Old Strathcona Foundation are housed on the second floor of the Strathcona Public Library, which was declared a Registered Historic Resource in 1976. * * * STRATHCONA LIBRARY (1913) New Page Opens For Landmark Built in 1913, Edmonton's first library was given a $250,000 interior restoration and reopened in 1985. The Strathcona Public Library is a two-storey English Renaissnce Revival style structue. The renovations restored this earliest sanctum of Strathcona culture to its former austere but tasteful decor. Money for the renovations came from a trust fund set aside from the sale of the old main library on MacDonald Drive, which was demolished in 1968 to make way for the AGT Tower. The Old Strathcona Foundation also contributed $15,000. This well-known library is finished in weathered orange brick with limestone embellishments. The brick was probably manufactured from clay in one of the many brickyards which flourished in the North Saskatchewan River valley at the turn of the century. It was completed at a cost of $30,000, and was designed by the prominent Strathcona architectural firm of Arthur G. Wilson and David E. Herrald, who also drew up the plans for numerous other early south side buildings. Their works included the University of Alberta campus home of Alberta's first premier, Alexander Cameron Rutherford, First Presbyterian Church, as well as the Douglas Block at 10442 Whyte Avenue. Strathcona townsfolk had petitioned their council for a library as early as 1907. But the matter was put on hold due to Strathcona's pre-occupation with building a city hall and market. In 1910, the City of Strathcona purchased the land for $6,250 from farmer James Edmund Smith and liveryman Douglas Edward Cameron. Negotiations began in earnest that same year for a grant from Andrew Carnegie, the American philanthropist and industrialist. E.L. Hill, inspector for the Strathcona school district, led the negotiations. He had earlier helped develop libraries in Guelph, Ontario, and Calgary. However, Carnegie only offered $15,000 and this was turned down by the City of Strathcona as inadequate. Shortly after Strathcona's amalgamation with the City of Edmonton, debentures were sold to raise $25,000 for the library building. The library proved to be an instant success and more than 53,000 books were circulated in its first 9 months of operation. Books were stored only on the main floor. The basement was devoted to a men's reading room, while the second floor was used as an auditorium. While the City of Strathcona offically turned over its properties to the City of Edmonton after amalgamation, its name remained on the property title until 1916, when the Edmonton Library Board took title. No sum of money changed hands, but pursuant to land titles regulations, the library's real estate value was duly noted at $37,800. The building has remained in the board's possession to this day. It saw renovations in 1948, and was closed in 1984 to make way for the latest facelift in which the exterior was left untouched. The remodelling job was designed by R.R. Roberts Limited, an Edmonton architectural firm. The Strathcona Library was designated as a Registered Historic Resource by Alberta Culture in 1976 because of its age and imposing architecture. It was discribed as 'an integral unit' of Old Strathcona. * * * SITE DATA FORM HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE: Negotiations for the construction of the Strathcona Library were carried out coincident with the amalgamation of Edmonton and Strathcona. After turning down a Carnegie Foundation Grant of $15,000 the library was built and paid for by the amalgamated city in 1913 at a total cost of $27,000. The grandiose structure with its English Renaissance architectural features was designed by Wilson and Herrald and constructed by W. Dietz, both Edmonton firms. This imposing structure has been a focal point to the Strathcona area throughout the past six decades.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Municipal A List Provincial Historic Resource	2006/02/16

Register:	A99

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0678