Key Number:	HS 5450
Site Name:	The Arlington
Other Names:	Arlington Apartments
Site Type:	0107 - Residential: Multiple Dwelling

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			52	24	4

Address:	10524 - 100 Avenue
Number:	24
Street:	105
Avenue:	100
Other:
Town:	Edmonton
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular Long Facade
Storeys:	Storeys: 4 or more
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Brick
Superstructure:	Brick
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Single Detached Wings: None Number of Bays - Facade: First or Ground Floor, 9 Bays or more Wall Design and Detail: String or Belt Course Wall Design and Detail: Decorative Brick Wall Design and Detail: Balcony Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Fascia Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Soffit Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Frieze Roof Trim - Eaves: Brackets Roof Trim Material - Eaves: Metal Roof Trim - Verges: Not Applicable Roof Trim Material - Verges: None Dormer Type: None Chimney Location - Side to Side: Centre Chimney Stack Material: Brick Chimney Stack Massing: Single Roof Trim - Special Features: None Window - Structural Opening Shape: Flat Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Voussoirs Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Keystone Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: None Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Material: Brick Window - Sill Type: Plain Lug Sill Window - Sill Material: Stone Window - Number of Sashes: Two, Double Hung Window - Opening Mechanism: Single or Double Hung Window - Special Types: None Main Entrance - Location: Centre (Facade) Main Entrance - Structural Opening Shape: Semi-Circular Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Voussoir Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Keystone Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Sides: None Main Entrance - Trim Outside Structural Opening Material: Brick Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Head: Shaped Transom, Multiple Lights Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Plain Main Entrance - Trim Within Structural Opening - Sides: Side Lights Main Entrance - Number of Leaves: 1 Main Entrance - Number of Panels Per Leaf: 1 Main Entrance - Leaves - Special Feature: Glass Main Stairs - Location and Design: None Main Stairs - Direction: None Main Porch - Type: None Main Porch - Special Features: None Main Porch - Material: None Main Porch - Height: None
Exterior:	Decorative cornice; Keystone voussiors; decorative frieze; decorative corbells; arched entrance with corbelled entablature. Projecting arched central entry; pressed metal cornice with scroll eave brackets; double hung wood sash paired windows with keystones. The five-storey 150-foot wide brick structure is plain in design. The walls are flat in their treatment, articulated by a string course at every floor, pilaster strips at the corners, delicate corbelling and a bold dentilled cornice at the top, with stone keystones and sills at the windows. The tall pilastered arch at the main entrance is the only explicit ornament, and the facade wall projects slightly over the entrance making the arch and the three tiers of four windows above it into a subtle frontispiece. The rear elevation is pierced at the centre, where a wooden secondary staircase runs the height of the building. At the top of this staircase is an enclosed room which was originally a tea room. The Arlington Apartment Block is a five-storey brick structure. The flat roof is edged with an entablature consisting of a tin cornice with heavy modillions and a brick stringcourse for a frieze. Simple rectangular windows pierce the facade and are decorated by radiating brick voussoirs with keystones and continuous sills. The dominant feature of the building is the entrance with its arched and recessed entry, brick piers, and corbelled shelf above. The Arlington is a five-storey brick building of relatively austere architecture. It depends for its success on careful brick detailing, which is expressed in the corbelled cornice, the brick corner piers, and the well-proportioned arched and recessed entry with its brick piers and corbelled shelf above.
Interior:	Arch shaped entrance hall. The rear elevation is pierced at the centre, where a wooden secondary staircase runs the height of the building. At the top of this staircase is an enclosed room which was originally a tea room. It was subsequently used for storage, and today remains perched somewhat precariously at the top. An article in Saturday News from November 6, 1909 described the Arlington as 'Edmonton's most modern and up-to-date residential apartment.' Each suite included a retractable 'murphy bed', china cabinets, a bookcase and writing cabinets, and many of these built-in furnishings survive. The kitchens were fitted with modern appliances such as refrigerators and gas ranges, and the suites had telephone communication to each other. The building was steam-heated, and apartments were supplied with hot and cold water as well as electric light.
Environment:	Neighbourhood: Downtown Property Features: None Lot Size: 150' x 100' Site is an early Edmonton exclusive apartment block. Set to property line; perimeter hedge. The Arlington is a familiar landmark in the neighbourhood. Despite many changes to the community over the subsequent eight decades, few alterations have been done to the apartment building. Its forceful silhouette which dominated the corner of sixth and Victoria (now 106 Street and 100 Avenue) still makes it a conspicuous structure among the modern office structures and hotels which have replaced the neighbouring houses. At five storeys and 150 feet long, the Arlington has held a dominant position on 100 Avenue for decades by virtue of its size rather than the extensive decoration one would usually expect in such an department building. Nevertheless, the Arlington provides colour, texture, and human scale to 100 Avenue in contrast to the glass or concrete office towers which have been built nearby.
Condition:	Good
Alterations:	Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Roof Apparent Alterations and/or Additions: Porch Site: Original

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Construction Started	1913/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Residential: Multiple Dwelling Apartment building Residential: Multiple Dwelling	1913/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Arlington Apartment Co.

Architect:	Robert Grant (Winnipeg)
Builder:	R. Grant
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	The July 19, 1909 Edition of the Edmonton Bulletin contained an announcement that the Arlington Apt. Co. Ltd. was planning to erect a building at the corner of 6 Street and Victoria Ave. Constructed by R. Grant at a cost of $150,000 and opened in 1910, the Arlington was built of steel framing with a facade of red stretcher bond brick. The four-storey flat roofed structure was enhanced on the exterior by an overhanging cornice, emphasized stone sills and keystones on the windows and a round arched entrance framed by double piers and corbelled brick. The interior, finished with quality plaster and wood-work, boasted home of the finest apartment space in Edmonton. Original Owners include: G. Swaisland, manager of Molsons Bank; D.R. Fraser of Fraser Lumber Mills; P.O. Dwyer; Grant Ryan owned from 1947 - 1972 when purchased by Barham. Apts were rented as little as $30. per month; The bldg. was built in matter of a few weeks by 25 brick layers and 50 carpenters. William Henry, Mayor of Edmonton December 1914-1917, Dates 1872- 1944 1926-1927 Mayor Henry lived here. Joseph Clarke, Mayor of Edmonton 1919, 1920,1935,1936,1937. Dates 1869-1941. 1910-1912 Mayor Clarke Lived here. 1915 Present Building built. 1887 December 6, Owners: Hudson'a Bay Company. 1910 January 6, Owners: Arlington Apartments Limited. 1972 April 28 - Present Owner: Phyllis M. Barham. 499 Victoria Avenue Owner - Arlington Apartments Company Limited. * * * * * Completed in the fall of 1909, the Arlington was the first apartment building in Edmonton. Rapid growth during the pre-World War I era created a demand for housing close to the centre of the city. Like other apartment buildings of the day, such as the LeMarchand Mansion (begun 1909, occupied 1911), Algonquin (1915), and Westminster Apartments (1912), the Arlington offered its tenants modern conveniences in an attractive residence, and a central location. In the summer of 1909 a consortium of local businessmen was formed under the name of the Arlington Apartment Company to finance the construction of the building. The project was announced in the Edmonton Bulletin on July 19. Among the original owners were several prominent members of Edmonton's business community including George Swaisland, an Ontario-born banker who managed Molson's Bank in Edmonton; D.R. Fraser, the owner of a large lumber mill, the D.R. Fraser Co.; financier Raymond Brutinel; John Somerville, hardware merchant; and Patrick O. Dwyer, the president of the Northern Investment Agency Ltd., a land-holding and development firm. There were also investors from out of town: Robert Paterson, secretary-treasurer of the Winnipeg Paint and Glass Co., as well as Winnipeg plumber, Walter Cole. Robert Grant, the building's contractor, was another investor. Albert F. Ewing, a solicitor who later became Premier of Alberta, acted on behalf of investor E.M. Swaisland, who was likely Margaret, the wife of George Swaisland. In January 1911 Ewing became a shareholder as well. Robert Grant, a Winnipeg contractor, was charged with constructing the five-storey structure. No architect has been indentified, and it is possible that Grant also designed the building. According to the Edmonton Bulletin, the Arlington was built very quickly, 'a storey a week' with a work force of twenty-five bricklayers and fifty carpenters. Construction began immediately after the property was purchased in July 1909 and the building was substantially completed by December of the same year. It cost $130,000 to build. It is interesting to note that construction began prior to the formation of the Arlington Apartment Co., and it was not until January 6, 1910 that the title of the property was officially transferred to the incorporated consortium. The Arlington has been home to many prominent citizens over the years. Its central location and amenities such as its liveried doorman and elevator made it a popular residence among the city's business community. Early residents included businessmen, barristers, clerks, a physician, two music teachers, a government worker, and a foreman. This type of clientele largely remained until the late 1970s and early 1980s. During the next few years after construction, a number of new shareholders bought into the Arlington Apartment Company. Although this altered the number of owners, their professional mix remained similar. The first major shift in the company's ownership occurred in December 1913, when the Northern Investment Agency Limited increased its shares and became the majority shareholder. Title to the building was transferred to the company on May 27, 1932, at which time the building's estimated value was $85,000. Eleven years later, on May 15, 1943, M.L. and G. Patrick Ryan purchased the property. Two days later G.P. Ryan bought out his brother and held the property until 1972. The Ryan brothers ran a successful northern transportation company which carried mail and Hudson's Bay Company merchandise to remote communities in the North. Ryan transferred the title from himself to the Arlington Apartment Ltd. on January 6, 1947. Phyllis Mabel Barham of Long Beach California purchased the building on April 28, 1972. In 1987 she sold it to its present owners. The fire escape on the west end is original, and the one on the east end is presumably original as well. The main entrance opens onto a small lobby, from which a staircase leads to the five storeys. An elevator across the hall from the stairs also serves each floor. The interiors are largely unaltered. The woodwork in the corridors has all been overpainted, although much of the woodwork in the suites remains stained. Many of the suites retain their original built-in features, although minor elements and finishes have been lost. The Arlington's 49 suites of three to six rooms each, made it Edmonton's largest apartment building for some time. It was followed in date and in size by the more ornate LeMarchand Mansions, which had 43 suites. Although the two buildings were both started during the summer of 1909 -- the LeMarchand received a building permit on May 29 -- the Arlington was completed first and by early 1910 residents had moved in. The LeMarchand Mansions suffered a series of construction delays and was not occupied until 1911. Two earlier forms of multiple residences were the row house, a centuries-old type; and a building designed much like an oversized single-family residence with suites opening off a central staircase hall. The Arlington marks the introduction to Edmonton of the apartment block with high site coverage and suites opening off both sides of a long corridor. The form has persisted to this day, with the principal variations being the configuration of the plan and the height of the block. 1909 - Syndicate of local businessmen organized to develop the Arlington. 1909 - July 19. Edmonton Bulletin; 'Arlington Apartment Company to erect an apartment building - 6 Street and Victoria Avenue.' 1909 - September 11. Construction underway, cost $130,000. Occupancy slated for December 1, in an advertisement dated November 6, 1909 in the Saturday News. 1910 - Suites rented for $30 and up per month. Transfer of title completed January 6 to Arlington Apartment Co. Thirty-six of the 49 suites occupied, according to the 1910 directory. 1911 - Only 2 suites vacant (City Directory). Ownership of the building divided amongst numerous shareholders in the Arlington Apartment Company. 1913 - December. The Northern Investment Company increases its holdings in the Arlington. 1932 - May 27. Title of the building transferred to Norhern Investment Co. At time of transfer, building worth estimated at $85,000. 1943 - May 15. Building sold to M.L. (Mickey) Ryan and his brother G. Patrick Ryan. 1943 - May 17. Resold to G.P. Ryan. 1947 - January 6. Property listed as being owned by the Arlington Apartment Limited (which was owned by Ryan). 1972 - April 28. Property purchased by Phyllis M. Barham, with an Assurance Fund value of $214,000. 1987 - Property sold to current owners. * * * In September, 1909, the Arlington Apartment Company began construction on this five-storey apartment block. The Edmonton Bulletin, September 11, 1909 reported that the Arlington Block was being constructed at 'lighting' speed, the fastest construction project in Edmonton's history. Twenty-five bricklayers and fifty carpenters worked steadily on this block during September, and were able to build one storey per week. The total cost of construction was $130,000. When completed, it housed 40 suites of three to six rooms each. It had electrical lighting and gas for cooking. In 1910, a suite rented for $30 per month -- without rent controls! The owners of the Arlington have considered the potential of the site, with and without the existing building, as 100 Avenue is becoming more attractive for redevelopment. With Baker Centre on the north, the only potential for enlarging the site is to acquire the property to the east. The location of the Arlington on its lot does not allow maximum utilization of the site's current potential FAR of 10.0:1. The building is not in excellent condition and might be inappropriate for direct conversion to offices without extensive rehabilitation. The existing building is approximately 3.0:1 FAR. Since the Arlington has been maintained as an apartment block for 70 years, it is fitting to retain this building for the same use. There is a market in Edmonton for interesting and distinctive apartments. Due to limitations of the building, a transfer of density would be an appropriate means for the owners to obtain sufficient return on their investment. * * * The Arlington Apartments was constructed in 1909 by a syndicate of local businessmen at a cost of $150,000. Though no architect is associated with the site, the structure was erected from blue prints by Robert Grant of Winnipeg. The structure was built at record speed with a storey a week, 'twenty-five bricklayers and fifty carpenters having been steadily at work.' The contract was let on the basis of percentage cost which was something new in the way of local construction. The building had 48 suites of three to six rooms each with buffets, dining tables, writing desks, bookcases and wall beds in each suite. The Arlington was one of the first apartment buildings in Edmonton, the others being the Le Marchand, the Anamoe, and the Wize Block. The Arlington was sold for investment purposes to the famous Ryan Brothers (Mickey Garret) of Northern Transportation fame in 1943 and to Garret Ryan in 1947. Mr. G. Ryan was well known in the Edmonton sporting world for his close association with horse racing and softball. The Ryan Brothers started a mail route in 1916 from Athabasca to McMurray and by 1946 when they sold out to the Bay, they held the entire contract for all Hudson's Bay Company merchandise that had to cross the 126 mile portage from Ft. Smith to Ft. Fitzgerald. The Arlington was sold to Phyllis Barham of California in 1972 and she continues to be the owner of the structure. * * * Between 1904 and 1914, Edmonton's population expanded from 8,350 to 72,516 people. The Arlington, built in 1909 by a 'syndicate of local capitalists', was among the largest, most favourably located and luxurious of the apartment blocks constructed in response to the housing problem which developed during this period. Central heating, gas stoves, private bathrooms, an elevator, and built-in furniture including Murphy beds, dining tables, desks, buffets and bookcases were among the amenities provided. In the context of the day, when rooming houses were the most common alternative to single family houses, this was luxury indeed. The relative simplicity of the Arlington's exterior is perhaps the result of budgeting, or of the 'lightning' speed with which the building was erected. Within the space of a few weeks the steel frame clad in brick was thrown up by as many as twenty-five bricklayers and fifty carpenters at a time. Nevertheless, the Arlington manages, through pleasing proportions and restrained classical detailing, to create a dignified and imposing presence on the street. * * * Building Permit #518, July 27/09, Arlington Apt. Co. Ltd., no architect; R.Grant contractor; cost $150,000. No plans. Person: Arlington Apt. Co. Ltd. - Geo. Swaisland - Molson Bank Mgt. A.E. Nash - accountant; Dr. Fraser - miller; John Sommerville - hard- ware merchant; P.O. Dwyer - developer. Northern Investment Co. - major shareholder by 1913. Ryan Bro. - wellknown transportation company owners from N. Alta. EB July 27/09 syndicate of local capitalist 58 suites: buffets in connection with each suite, dining tables, writing desks, book cases, wall beds (Murphy beds) - all finishings of oak. EB Sept. 11/09 lightning construction - storey a coceh - 48 of 3-6 rooms contract let on basis of percentage cost - new. EJ May 11/43 Sold to M.L. Ryan for investment purposes. Opened early in 1910 no date available. * * * ARLINGTON APARTMENTS (1909) Block's Features Are of a Bygone Era The Arlington Apartments, one of Edmonton's first tenement houses when constructed in 1909, continues to express the grace and craftsmanship of another age. Its creaky maple floors, high ceilings, and quaint interior design betray the whimsies and social habits of another era - when servants were common, and entertaining at home was a city event. Many prominent people took up residence here over the years due to its luxury status and proximity to the Legislature Building. They included Richard Hardisty, son of a former factor at Fort Edmonton, and noted historian John Blue, Alberta's first provincial librarian. There are 49 apartments on five floors. A partial sixth floor, now used for storage, was once a tea room. Oak woodwork runs along the ceilings and room entryways. Large oak pocket doors divide the parlors from the dining rooms. Each of the suites featured a built-in reversible Murphy bed and oak buffet, inset with a mirror and flanked with oak spindles. Oak closet doors are faced with a small china cabinet, built-in writing desk and shelving. The Edmonton Historical Board described The Arlington as a red brick building 'of relatively austere architecture. It depends for its success on careful brick detailing, expressed in the corbelled cornice, the brick corner piers, and the well-proportioned arched and recessed entry with its brick piers and corbelled shelf above.' The Arlington 'provides color, texture and human scale to 100th Avenue in contrast to the glass or concrete office towers which have been built nearby.' The block cost $130,000 and was built to take advantage of Edmonton's first real estate boom. Contractor Robert Grant of Winnipeg managed to complete it in just a few weeks - a storey a week - using 25 bricklayers and 50 carpenters. Original owners included G. Swaisland, manager of Molsons Bank, D.R. Fraser of Fraser Lumber Mills, and P.O. Dwyer, who built the Transit Hotel. In 1943 it was sold to Mickey and Garret Ryan of Northern Transportation. In 1947, Garret Ryan became the sole owner and held the title until the present owner, Phyllis Barham, purchased the building. HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE The Arlington is among the most notable of Edmonton's early residential structures. Built of brick, it was an architectural object of note at a time when most domestic buildings were of frame construction. The Journal proudly headlined one of the pages of its unabashedly boosters. Ten Year Supplement (1913) with the banner "Structure that Proclaim City's Greatness". The six brick apartments blocks of pre-war Edmonton was photographed and described. Eskdale Press's Edmonton Alberta's Capital 1914 also produced a page spread of Edmonton's prestige apartments. These were in descending order of size: LeMarchand, The Arlington, The Westminster, The Algonquin, Derwas Court and the Garneau. Their survival is a credit to the standard of construction and marketability of these dwellings. The Arlington is the second largest of these and provides a reminder of Edmonton's first experiment in an international residential building form and of the city's first prestigious residential neighbourhood. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The Arlington is a five-storey, plain brick apartment building with subtle architectural highlights, a plain brick facade with shallow projecting central bay and corner pilasters. The entrance doorway is the major architectural feature and consists of a barrel vaulted doorway set with a shallowly projecting two-storey bay with a brick architrave. The large wooden door and side light is topped by a large semi-circular window. The arched doorway is highlighted by artificial stone which also forms the main visual feature of the building, punctuating the brick facade as key stones to each of the 22 windows on the long and the five windows of the short axes. Five string courses of brick run into the line of some lintels. A classical style cornice and brick architrave tops the building.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Municipal A List Provincial Historic Resource Rescinded	1999/03/25 2008/09/23

Register:	A26

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: