Key Number:	HS 24225
Site Name:	Charles Plavin Homestead
Other Names:
Site Type:	0501 - Farming and Ranching: Farm or Ranch House

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			90	23	5

Address:
Number:
Street:
Avenue:
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	North Star

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:
Storeys:
Foundation:
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	All log building.
Interior:	Interior contains handmade doors, book-cases, stone furnace-fireplace and a sauna.
Environment:	Located on a five acre plot one and one half miles from highway number 35 in a rural setting.
Condition:	All buildings are in sound structural condition with some repair needed on the roof, doors and windows of the old section of the house.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed	1918/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Residence	1918/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Charles Plavin Province of Alberta	1918/01/01 1975/01/28

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	Charles Plavin
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Charles Plavin was born in Latvia in 1875 and was a stone mason by trade. He attended tradeschool in Berlin, spent some time in the U.S. (at least part of that time in San Francisco). In 1916 he took a homestead in the Battle River area, going by rail to Peace River Crossing and from there to his homestead North Star. He developed his farm until his retirement at age 92 (1967) and died in 1969. He first raised cattle, then went to exclusive grain farming. Charles Plavin was involved in community affairs planning a cultural centre. For the Battle River area which organizing local music festivals providing money for a piano trophy, devising schemes to bring trained music teachers into the district and setting up the Peace River Bursary fund to help educate music students from the Peace River district. Heritage Significance: The heritage significance of the Charles Plavin homestead lies in the quality of craftmanship and ingenuity displayed by this Latvian homesteader. Plavin's most notable contribution was in the field of education. His generous donation to the University of Alberta allowed the establishment of a music scholarship. Charles Plavin also started the construction of a cultural centre in Manning; however, it was never completed. He also arranged the importation of a music teacher from Germany and generally enriched the cultural life of the area. Historical Importance: Homestead of Charles Plavin, a Latvian stone-mason, who settled in the North Star area in 1918. Plavin started the construction of a cultural centre in Manning, which was never completed and generously established a music scholarship at the University of Alberta. Architectural Importance: The buildings display the craftsmanship and ingenuity of Plavin's carpentry and stone-masonry. The site consists of: a house built in two stages which contains handmade doors, book-case, furniture, stone furnace-fireplace and a sauna, a hexagonal hog barn with centrally placed fireplace, a smoke house, and the remians of a barn burned in 1969. * * * News Release Draft #1 Plavin Homestead Designated Historic Site The Minister of Culture, Hon. Horst A. Schmid, has designated the Charles Plavin Homestead a Provincial Historic Site. Charles Plavin was born in Latvia in 1875 and emigrated to the United States in 1906 to assist with the reconstruction of San Francisco following its devastating earthquake. In 1911 Charles Plavin moved to Alberta, settling first in the Lac ste Anne area, and later in 1916 near North Star, up in the Peace River District. He died in 1969, a well known local philanthropist, cultural enthusiast and pioneer rancher and farmer. Plavin was a man noted for two special talents: music and building craftsmanship. He was responsible for much of the music training of the young people wherever he went, and arranged for a music teacher to come to the Manning area from Germany in 1952. In addition, he established music festivals and commenced the construction of a cultural centre in Manning, a project which regretably was never completed. The Peace River Pioneer Memorial Scholarship was established through a generous grant from Mr. Plavin in 1962. Although a stonemason by trade, Charles Plavin constructed several impressive log buildings on his farm. The craftsmanship of his work is superb and represents some of the finest log construction undertaken in Alberta. Included in the main house is a sauna bath, while elsewhere the farm boasted a unique log barn until 1969, when it was destroyed by fire. A six-sided hog barn continuous to be a major attraction on the site.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1977/03/15

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0267