Key Number:	HS 15297
Site Name:	Hick-Sehl Building
Other Names:	Hick-Sehl Hardware Company Old Hick-Sehl Building
Site Type:	0400 - Mercantile/Commercial: General and Mixed Use Commercial 0412 - Mercantile/Commercial: General Retail Store

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			9	21	4

Address:	618 - 3 Avenue S
Number:	18
Street:	6 S
Avenue:	3 S
Other:
Town:	Lethbridge
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular Short Facade
Storeys:	Storeys: 3
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:	Brick - Bond: Stretcher Composition: Tile or Terra Cotta
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Row, Related, Intermediate Number of Bays - Facade: First or Ground Floor, 3 Bays Wall Design and Detail: Entablature Wall Design and Detail: Plain Parapet Wall Design and Detail: Stepped Parapet Wall Design and Detail: Decorated Parapet Chimney Location - Side to Side: Centre Chimney Location - Front to Rear: Rear Chimney Stack Material: Brick Chimney Stack Massing: Single Roof Trim - Special Features: Monumental Pediment Window - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Concrete Window - Sill Material: Concrete Window - Opening Mechanism: Single or Double Hung Window - Special Types: Bay, Bow or Oriel Window - Special Types: Bay or Bow, 2 or More Storeys Main Entrance - Location: Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Flat Transom, Blind Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Side Lights Main Porch - Type: Recess
Exterior:	Pilastered corners and 2 inside pilasters boardering bay window from recessed panel to either side. Main floor refaced below parapet entablature at base of bay window which occupies two floors. Stepped parapet roof capitols on corner parapets and decorative capitals of recessed panels same level as roof of bay windows. Above bay window is segmental arch with radiating voussoirs and cement finished keystones. Fake marble. Store front on ground level; two apartments on upper storey.
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	Located across from city park in a block of similar types of structures. Commercial core.
Condition:	The building is in ecxellent condition containing a high degree of original fabric. The structure is very sound and only requires upgrading in its machanical, electrical, and fire prevention systems. The building has a high potential to be restored to its original state and condition. Good (2004)
Alterations:	Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Wall Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Window Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Door Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Other Site: Original Upgrades including false multipane windows; also, around windows and doors.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Purchased the lot Construction began	1910/01/01 1912/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Hick Hardware Store (1912-1947) Mercantile/Commercial: Specialty Store or Shop	1912/01/01 1972/08/04
Owner:	Owner Date:
Fred Hick & Edward Sehl Michael Bolokoski	1912/01/01 1958/08/14

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Built in 1912 by hardware merchant Fred Hick the Hick-Sehl Building represents the climax of the first stage of urban growth in Lethbridge from 1906-1914. It was one of the first and most successful retail hardware stores in the city operating continuously until 1947. It faced onto historic Galt Park which was the business and recreational center of the city. The building remains a symbol of the boom years construction and is today one of the most distinctive historical landmarks of Lethbridge. Building/Site Description: The three story building is a rectangular brick structure which sits on a 25 x 125 foot lot in the commercial district between 6 7th Street S. It is in good condition, with minimal alterations and is in active use. The foundation is poured concrete. The exterior details include a distinctive bowed front window, stepped parapet roof of sandstone, entablature, plastered corners and decorative capitols, segmented arch with radiating voussoirs and cement finished keystones. The building is located across from Galt Gardens Park and beside the Sherlock Block. Architectural Significance: The Hick-Sehl Building has the appearance of a gracious townhouse, an elegant bowed front, unique in the city, highlights a Neo-baroque style revivalism. It combines both brick and stone on the exterior facade. It is a remarkably sturdy structure that features three levels of 25 foot expansions, which require no columns or support pillars. Its brick walls taper gradually from their 2 foot thickness at the foundation to the 3 brick width at the roof. The style of the building is compatible with certain Calgary buildings along 8th Ave. from that time, namely the Doll Block. * * * NEWS RELEASE February 16, 1984 Edmonton, Alberta The Hick-Sehl building in Lethbridge has been designated a Registered Historic Resource, announced Mary J. LeMessurier, Minister of Culture. This building, located at 618 Third Avenue South, was constructed in 1912 by pioneer Lethbridge hardware merchant Fred Hick. He was born in 1875 in Belleville, Ontario, where he learned the tinner's and plumber's trade. He worked at this trade for a number of years before arriving in Lethbridge in 1903. In 1909-10 he entered into a partnership with Edward J. Sehl to form the Hick-Sehl Hardware Company. It became a prominent business during a period in which Lethbridge developed a diverse and complementary economic base. The coal industry and the railroad were augmented by such industries as the Lethbridge Ironworks Company, Lethbridge Brewing and Malting Company, the Electric Light and Power Company, a cement block factory and the Columbia Flour Mills Company. At the peak of the boom in 1911-12, the Hick-Sehl building was one of the more unique commercial structures in the business district of the city. Among its distinctive characteristics are the bay windows on the second and third storeys of the front facade. The first floor housed general merchandise such as galvanized wash tubs, kitchen utensils and plumbing supplies. The second floor housed a wide selection of stoves, ranges and heating equipment.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: