Key Number:	HS 71488
Site Name:	Drewry House
Other Names:	Glen Ranch Rener's Farmhouse Todd Creek Stone House
Site Type:	0101 - Residential: Single Dwelling 0501 - Farming and Ranching: Farm or Ranch House

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			7	1	5

Address:	N/A
Number:	N/A
Street:	N/A
Avenue:	N/A
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	Lundbreck

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular Long Facade
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Stone
Superstructure:	Stone
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Hip
Roof Cover:	Asphalt Shingle
Exterior Codes:	Massing of Units: Single Detached Wings: Rear Wall Design and Detail: None Roof Trim - Eaves: Plain Soffit Roof Trim Material - Eaves: Wood Roof Trim - Verges: Plain Soffit Roof Trim Material - Verges: Wood Towers, Steeples and Domes: None Dormer Type: None Chimney Location - Side to Side: Offset Left Chimney Stack Material: Brick Chimney Stack Massing: Single 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: None 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: 1 Main Entrance - Number of Panels Per Leaf: 1 Main Entrance - Leaves - Special Feature: Glass Main Stairs - Location and Design: First or Ground Floor, Without Railing Main Stairs - Direction: Straight Main Porch - Type: Open Porch Main Porch - Special Features: Columns Main Porch - Material: Concrete Main Porch - Height: First Storey
Exterior:	Two off set brick chimneys, S. and N. Elevations. Boxed cornice. Open hipped raised porch entry, W. Elevation. Squared bay window, truncated hiproof, one storey, W. elevation small unused entry, W. Elevation. Of primary interest at this building site is the large sandstone house built close to the bank of the Crowsnest River. The house built of rock quarried from an outcrop immediately to the east is a two-storey rectangular structure measuring 36 by 65 feet (Plates 1-3). The exterior walls are formed of irregularly shaped, broken-coursed, tooled sandstone blocks, with the largest found at the corners. The house is marked by extensions on two sides; windows porches on the south and west faces. The central doorway, once the main entry but now not used, was once fronted by an open wooden-roofed porch (Plate 2), but the Reners removed this in 1984 as it was damaging the stone work. A second door on the west face which leads directly into the kitchen once was footed by two wooden steps (Plate 2) but these were removed by the Percevaults, and the door was no longer used. The only entry is at the back or east face of the house. The roof is a medium hip, covered in brown shingle (originally cedar shakes). The house is well illuminated on the west with five double sash windows on the main floor, with three on the projecting porch. On the back face, windows cluster towards the north end of the building. Stone forms the window sills and lintels. The house contains a full basement; a coal chute leads into it on the south end. The composition of the walls behind the lathe and plaster interior surface was apparently simply filled with 'rubble', according to Mrs. Reners. The interior ceilings consisted of patterned tin; a distinctive feature which is often lost to renovations. Detailed assessment of the interior of this significant house has not been undertaken. It is recommended that such a study be done in future. The stone house was built with the help of Tom Iredale, an accomplished stone mason who also built a stone house (Cobble not block) for himself south of Cowley near the landfill (no longer standing) (Plate 101). (Iredale very likely also built the Heaton Houae at Maycroft, and possibly was connected with construction of the Glen Ranche stone house.) William Lighthart, who lived across the Crowsnest in SE 31/7/1/5 and who was also a stone mason, is also connected with this house's construction. Also mentioned is a Mr. Halliday, who may have been involved in construction of the Glen Ranche northwest of the Drewry place. Drewry also had built a number of substantial horse barns and other sheds (Plate 4), most of which still stand today. In reference to Figure 7, the original barns include A to C and possibly D, plus the chicken house. Two large hog barns and a dairy across Todd Creek fell down before the Percevaults bought the farm. East of the existing original barns (Plates 5-7) has a similar facade, with two sets of large doors of diagonal wooden planks, with the hayloft set immediately above. Small square windows punctuate the peak. Each of barns A,B and C are sheathed in shiplap and painted red. Each possesses wooden ventilators on the roof. Building D appears to have been blacksmith shop (personal communication, Dora Precevault). The long sheds nearest Todd Creek are also original buildings. The quonset was built in 1968 (Plate 8).
Interior:	Kitchen, Pantry, living room and other large rooms all on main floor. Upper floor, large bathroom and eight bedrooms. Woodstrip floors. Wood surrounds, plain on all doors and windows. Extremly wide sills. Turned wood Balustrade to 2nd floor.
Environment:	West and South windows overlooks small Creek. House situated in a small Creek Valley for Protection. Ground Rises Rapidly to small hill. East side of building. Numerous barns and out buildings situated 50 to 100 yards north of house. Surrounding outbuildings - Barns Etc. All built prior to 1925. Area: 17.64 ha/43.59 ac (2) Section and LSD determined using 'Plan of Survey of the site.
Condition:	Good
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Construction Started	1910/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Residence	1910/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Witold Twardowski J.K. Drewery Edward Alfred Percevault and Frank Joseph Piazola Reners Farms Ltd.	1910/01/01 1943/11/27 1972/01/01

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	It appears after examination of available land titles for 31/7/1/5 that the SE 1/4 and NE 1/4 were first ceded to the Calgary and Edmonton Land Company Limited which in turn sold to individual land owner such as J.C. Drewery and William Lighthart. On June 9, 1909 a certificate of title for 494 acres (minus the road) lying north of the Oldman River was written out to John Climie Drewery. Drewry's purchase of this property signaled the first improvements made upon the land, as none had been observed in previous years by anyone responsible for noting such changes, such as government stock watering reservation inspectors (RG15 Vol. 1295 File 2 - P.A.C.). Little is known about J.C. Drewery, and yet he remains an important figure in district history as one of the largest landholders in the early 1900s. The local history mentions that Drewry had been a journalist with the Globe and Mail in Toronto and had also been involved in mining interests at Rossland and Moyie, British Columbia (P.C.H.S. 1974:316). He came to the Cowley district ca. 1905, first buying the Cook farm (SW 34/7/1/5 south of river) where he planned to build a large sandstone house. Although construction proceeded to the point where foundations were in place and local rock quarried (see history for SW 34/7/1/5), Drewry decided to move upriver to the NE 31/7/1/5 where in 1910 the Glen Ranche was established. A fine stone house and the original barns are still used today by Joseph Reners. Drewry specialized in raising Percheron horses and purebred Holstein cattle (ibid). He appears to have had extensive land holdings in the Three Rivers area to provide pasture for the stock, and also acted as landlord to families who rented houses from him. Drewry died in 1914, and the Glen Ranche (Plate 102) was then operated by his sister Mary Burnham Drewry and his brother Andrew, both of whom had come west with Drewry earlier. A third sibling, William Steward Drewry, who was a surveyor in Victoria, British Columbia was also named as an executor. It is unclear how the property finally passed out of the Drewry family, although it appears that the Debt Adjustment Act was brought into play, with the banks having major interest in the property. In 1927, an investment company (the Netherlands Investment Company) acquired the property. The next title available is one dated November 27, 1943 and assigned to Edward Alfred Percevault and Frank Joseph Piazola of Cowley. According to Edward and Dora Percevault, they had rented the farm for seven years before purchasing. They identified a Mr. Bickle as having lived there prior to themselves, and also the Heatheringtons (renters) before Mr. Bickle. The Percevaults occupied the farm for 30 years, finally selling out to Reners Farms Ltd. in 1972. * * * RESOURCE Drewry House ADDRESS Pincher Creek (Lundbreck) BUILT 1910 DESIGNATION STATUS Provincial Historic Resource HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE The Rener’s farmhouse is located on land originally given to the Calgary and Edmonton Land Company by the Dominion Government in 1905. In 1909, it was sold to John Climie Drewry, who established the Glen Ranch on the property. Prior to coming to the Cowley area in 1905, he had been journalist with the Globe and Mail in Toronto and was involved with mining interests in British Columbia. With his acquisition of this property, he became one of the largest landowners in the area. The Glen Ranch belongs to the era of small ranch operations which developed in the area by the turn of the century. The end of the bonanza ranch era came about with the cancellation of the lease system, the arrival of large numbers of American dry-land farmers and the disposal of the region’s water reservation after 1905. The Glen Ranch, therefore, reflects changes in the ranching industry during this era. The Rener’s farmhouse is a rare example of the use of stone as a building material in Alberta. Stone was used in a variety of building types ranging from simple worker’s residences like the Gunderson residence to classically inspired schools in Calgary, but this is a rare example of its use in Alberta country homes. * * * Constructed in 1910 by John Climie Drewery, the Drewery House is a rare example of the use of stone as a building material in Alberta. Based on its appearance, it is part of the English stone building tradition, and is a relatively plain structure representing the work of local craftsman. Historically, the site has a long and strong association with the ranching and farming traditions of southern Alberta. (Notice of Intention, March 1993)

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1993/07/23

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0533