Lost buildings

[IanO]

Thought i would start a thread to show how much we have taken away from Edmonton and perhaps have people stand up for historical structures a little more. Imagine some of these there today and how interesting it they would be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old Woodward`s department store stands proudly fitted with flags and bunting, ready to celebrate the royal visit. While Sam Cherniak sells popcorn to passersby on the 102 Avenue corner, the new Eaton`s department store is in the midst of construction on the other side of 101 Street. The building shown here includes the original Woodward`s store, which opened on this site on October 15, 1926, and the three additional bays built onto the north, nearest the Royal George Hotel, in 1929 and 1932. By September, 1940, fourth and fifth storeys were added as well. In June, 1974, the building was demolished to be replaced by the new Edmonton Centre complex.

Edmonton: Portrait of a City (page 175)

Photo Date: circa 1929
Photographer:
Address:
Built: (Opened: 1926)
Demolished: 1974



The King Edward Hotel was built in 1904 with additions in 1908 and 1940s. The architect was M.A. Magoon. It acquired an addition in 1910 that allowed it to surpass the Alberta Hotel as Edmonton's leading hotel. It was located on 1st Street (now 101st Street) and 102nd Avenue and burned to the ground in 1982 to be replaced by the ManuLife Building.


Photo Date: unknown
Photographer:
Address: 101st Street and 102nd Avenue.
Built: (Built: 1904)
Demolished: 1982



The Empire Block was constructed in 1905 by McDougall and Secord, Ltd. as an office and retail building. Liggett`s Owl Drugs Company Ltd. occupied most of the main floor while the upper three floors were reserved for offices. In 1942, a fire severely damaged the building, but it reopened three months later. In 1962, the old Empire Building was torn down by the McDougall-Secord Company to make room for the new 11-storey Empire Building completed in 1963. The McDougall-Secord Company continues to maintain offices at this site.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: 1905
Photographer:
Address: 10113 101 Street
Built: (Built: 1905)
Demolished: 1962



This Neo-Classical style "temple" was built in 1907 on the site of Edmonton`s first bank, situated here since 1892. Built at a cost of $90,000, the new sandstone structure displayed an elegant marble interior and porcelain tile floor. An interesting feature was its special room for women customers who wished to deposit their real estate gains without the knowledge of their husbands. The second floor housed the offices of a law firm, and the third floor was reserved for bank clerk living quarters. In 1950, the building was demolished to make room for the present six storey Imperial Bank, constructed in 1952.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: 1908
Photographer:
Address: 9990 Jasper Avenue
Built: (Built: 1907)
Demolished: 1950



Constructed from 1907 to 1910 by the Federal government, this building was Edmonton`s main northside Post Office for 56 years. It was a distinctive Edmonton landmark with its copper mansard roof, cupola windows, domed clock tower, and Manitoba Tyndall stone exterior. In 1967, the city purchased the building and in 1972 sold it to Leamar Developments for the construction of the Edmonton Plaza Hotel, presently the Westin Hotel. Leamar demolished the Post Office that year, and the famous clock and tower were dismantled and stored for future reconstruction on the original site. But the clock tower stonework was reused in a memorial gardens monument, so a modern clock tower was specifically designed for the original clock and mechanism. The new clock tower was installed in 1978 on the north end of the Westin Hotel site through the generosity of an anonymous donor.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1915
Photographer:
Address: 100 Street, 101A Avenue
Built: (Built: 1907-1910)
Demolished: 1972

[IanO]

Constructed in 1911, this building housed the Supreme and District Courts until 1972, when it was sold to Woodwards and demolished for the construction of Edmonton Centre. This Greek templelike building had a sandstone exterior and granite foundation. The interior showed a classical elegance with Greek columns, a marble staircase, and skylight. The four court rooms in the upper gallery were oak panelled.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1915
Photographer:
Address: 100 Street, 102A Avenue
Built: (Built: 1911)
Demolished: 1972



The Tegler Building was built in 1911 by Edmonton entrepreneur and philanthropist, Robert Tegler. Designed by H. A. Magoon, the Tegler Building was known to be one of the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in Alberta, and the first fireproof office building in Edmonton. The stone used for its construction was quarried from a rock coulee near Fort MacLeod. An eight-storey addition was constructed in 1913 to accommodate the expansion of James Ramsey`s department store, which remained here until 1929. The Tegler Building is clad in red brick and white stone, with the entablature and other detailing of pressed tin. Primarily Classical in its detailing, it is representative of the transition to the Sullivanesque modern era and achieves a balance in horizontals and verticals. Some of the Classical detailing includes corner quoins, pilasters, and a two-storey balcony with engaged Ionic columns and a balustrade which accents the upper floors.

Edmonton`s Threatened Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1912
Photographer: Byron May Co.
Address: 101 Street and 102 Avenue
Built: (Built: 1911)
Demolished: 1982



Built in 1913 by Alexander Pantages and George Brown, the Pantages Vaudeville Theatre hosted such great entertainers as the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, and others. In 1931, the theatre was renamed The Strand. Premier William Aberhart broadcast his Sunday sermons from its stage in the 1930`s. The theatre was known for its remarkable Italian Renaissance interior. Alexander Pantages used Italian and Greek marble throughout, trimmed with bronze and bevelled glass. The walls were panelled with damask figured silk and the decoration was punctuated with detailed use of gilt and plaster works. Although the building was designated a Provincial Historic Site in 1976, it was dismantled in 1979 by the First Northern Building Corporation, who had purchased the site twenty years earlier. During demolition, plaster figurines were removed and molds of the interior were made with the intention of reconstructing the theatre in Fort Edmonton Park. Batoni-Bowlen Enterprises Ltd. purchased the site for the InterProvincial Pipeline Building which was completed in 1981.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: July 24, 1919
Photographer: McDermid Studios
Address: 10209 Jasper Avenue
Built: (Built: 1913)
Demolished: 1979



In 1917, Famous Players built the Capitol Theatre, the first silent movie house in Edmonton. When the silent film era closed in 1929, sound equipment was installed. The entire theatre was remodelled in 1938, including installation of the theatre`s famous 2,000 light marquee, the largest in Western Canada. Smoke Shops Ltd. and Kline`s Jewellery Store shared the ground floor with the theatre from 1917 until its demolition. In 1972, Famous Players demolished the Capitol along with the Agency and the Monarch Buildings to make way for the 22-storey Capitol Square Theatre and office complex, completed in 1975.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: December, n.d.
Photographer: H. Jack Conway
Address: 10067 Jasper Avenue
Built: (Built: 1917)
Demolished: 1972



Jasper Avenue and 101 Street



Jointly funded by the Andrew Carnegie Corporation of New York and the City of Edmonton, this grand French Renaissance structure with Italian detailing was for more than 40 years the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library. It overlooked the North Saskatchewan River valley from a perch just north of Macdonald Drive and west of 99th Street.

The Board commissioned local architects Herbert Alton Magoon and George Heath MacDonald to prepare plans for a reinforced concrete and steel fireproof building "costing not more than $150,000." Constructed of cream coloured terr-cotta clay brick and Bedford stone, the central entrances were flanked by four fluted Doric columns, topped with copper trim and red tile roofing. Interior finishes included Caen stone, terrazzo tile and marble.

The central portion of the main floor was crowned by a massive skylight measuring 65 feet by 24 feet, carried on Ionic columns. Large windows on all sides made for superb natural light penetration. The building even boasted a central vacuum system.

Poole Construction got the contract to erect the structure -- the first project for a new Edmonton company started by Ernest Poole, and which today has evolved to become the massive firm PCL. Work commenced in late 1922 and was completed the following summer.

The new building was officially opened on August 30th, 1923, amid much pomp and circumstance. Premier Herbert Greenfield and former Premier Alexander Rutherford both spoke at the ceremony.

A little more than 40 years later, Edmonton's grand house of books was deemed too small and construction began on a new library which opened September 30, 1967 and was called the Centennial. Poole Construction, the company that built the 1923 library, was selected to demolish it and that happened in 1969. Poole Construction then built the AGT Tower (now the Telus Tower) on the same site, beginning in 1970.

(Text credit: Lawrence Herzog – Edmonton Real Estate Weekly – Sept 27, 2007)

The Source

Photo Date:
Photographer:
Address: MacDonald Drive
Built: (Opened: 1923)
Demolished: 1968




Pictures of our Past > Photo Collection: Buildings > Buildings (1911 to 1970) > Details
Details
1929 Eaton`s Mail Order Warehouse


Edmonton Archives EA-624-10
The T. Eaton Co. Limited Mail Order Building was the first building constructed specifically for the T. Eaton Company in Edmonton, and pre-dates the 101 Street department store by ten years. The building was completed in November, 1929 and was designed by Magoon and MacDonald of Edmonton. Eaton`s acquired the land in what contemporary sources termed as "the largest land deal in Edmonton`s history". This building originally stocked only heavy goods and machinery. The Mail Order Building is a rectangular, two-storey structure of steel and reinforced concrete sheathed in buff-coloured brick and ivory buff Tyndall limestone. The flat roof is bordered by a parapet and stone cornice decorated with dentils. All ground floor window openings are flat-headed, while the upper storey exhibits a rhythmic fenestration of triple round-arched windows.

Edmonton`s Threatened Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1980
Photographer: Clyde Cornfield
Address:
Built: (Built: 1929)
Demolished:



From 1928 until 1977 the eight-ton, 10-metre-tall bottle sat on the roof of Edmonton City Dairy on 109 Street, north of Jasper Avenue. The milk bottle was so big and so white that bush pilots would actually use it to steer by as their planes approached the Municipal Airport.


Photo Date: unknown
Photographer:
Address: 109 Street, north of Jasper Avenue.
Built: (Built: 192
Demolished: 1977

[IanO]

source:

http://www.epl.ca/EPLPhotoBuildings.cfm

[dwells]

Originally Posted by IanO

1929 Eaton`s Mail Order Warehouse


Edmonton Archives EA-624-10
The T. Eaton Co. Limited Mail Order Building was the first building constructed specifically for the T. Eaton Company in Edmonton, and pre-dates the 101 Street department store by ten years. The building was completed in November, 1929 and was designed by Magoon and MacDonald of Edmonton. Eaton`s acquired the land in what contemporary sources termed as "the largest land deal in Edmonton`s history". This building originally stocked only heavy goods and machinery. The Mail Order Building is a rectangular, two-storey structure of steel and reinforced concrete sheathed in buff-coloured brick and ivory buff Tyndall limestone. The flat roof is bordered by a parapet and stone cornice decorated with dentils. All ground floor window openings are flat-headed, while the upper storey exhibits a rhythmic fenestration of triple round-arched windows.

Edmonton`s Threatened Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1980
Photographer: Clyde Cornfield
Address:
Built: (Built: 1929)
Demolished:

I believe this was located at 103 Ave and 103 Street and was demolished to make room for the bus depot.

[IanO]

^i think this is 102st/103ave

[dwells]

Originally Posted by IanO

^i think this is 102st/103ave

After examining the background, I believe you are correct.

[etownboarder]

Originally Posted by IanO

Jointly funded by the Andrew Carnegie Corporation of New York and the City of Edmonton, this grand French Renaissance structure with Italian detailing was for more than 40 years the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library. It overlooked the North Saskatchewan River valley from a perch just north of Macdonald Drive and west of 99th Street.

(Text credit: Lawrence Herzog – Edmonton Real Estate Weekly – Sept 27, 2007)

The Source

Photo Date:
Photographer:
Address: MacDonald Drive
Built: (Opened: 1923)

This is one of the most tragic of all... can you imagine this as our main library branch instead of the Stanley Milner? I wish I could've been around to see it in those days, it would've been a magnificent library.

[mark]

I had no idea so many awesome buildings were torn down. Edmonton would be a lot cooler if we had kept these... wow...

[etownboarder]

Does anyone have a picture of that old movie theatre on Jasper Ave next to the Hardware Grill? I would love to see what that looked like in it's prime.

[jessie]

I had no idea so many awesome buildings were torn down. How many of these beauties were leveled to make gravel parking lots? It's truly appalling. wow...

It is appalling. What else will be torn down in the name of progress?

[24karat]

How absolutely depressing to see what we had and destroyed.. If we only knew then what we know now!!

[dwells]

Originally Posted by 24karat

How absolutely depressing to see what we had and destroyed.. If we only knew then what we know now!!

And what do we know now? We're still tearing down buildings that should have heritage designation.

[TerryH]

That's sad that these areas weren't made into an "Old Edmonton" and the newer buildings had been built over some shabbier locations.

Apart from the Leg, I can't offhand think of any other building where you climb some massive stairs, past huge columns and into a grand entry.

[dwells]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Apart from the Leg, I can't offhand think of any other building where you climb some massive stairs, past huge columns and into a grand entry.

University, General hospital, MacDonald Hotel, Police station, court house, Milner library... Granted with today's requirements for disabled access the stairs aren't as grand, but there are still many around town.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Was the Carnegie Library funding still available in the 1960s or 1970s? Even if the old library was deemed too small, a bigger version of that would have been better than what we have now.

The biggest loss was that old court house. Now that looked like a really nice building.

[etownboarder]

Originally Posted by dwells

University, General hospital, MacDonald Hotel, Police station, court house, Milner library... Granted with today's requirements for disabled access the stairs aren't as grand, but there are still many around town.

I don't think you can compare any of those buildings and their staircases to the buildings in these pictures. The only one even slightly comparable would be the MacDonald Hotel's patio stairs (I think, haven't been there in a while).

[highlander]

Den/pharm at the U, the federal building and the haultain near the ledge have the stairs grand entry thing.
St. Josephs Bascilica and a few other old churches have the same thing.

[moahunter]

Originally Posted by etownboarder

I don't think you can compare any of those buildings and their staircases to the buildings in these pictures. The only one even slightly comparable would be the MacDonald Hotel's patio stairs (I think, haven't been there in a while).

It is never comparable until you lose it, and reflect back a few years later as to what could have been. It is a shame, but all cities have Wild West stories like this, Edmonton is not unique. It is a bit depressing though - as it should be cheaper to rebuild / maintain these buildings in Edmonton than many other parts of the world. No massive earthquake rebuilding, humidity/rot, or similar. But until there is the will to decide that this is important enough to fund (legislation / rules are not enough, you can't make someone preserve something), nothing will change soon.

I guess it is impossibly subjective, but it would be interesting to me, if someone tried to estimate the % of buildings, in any given decade, that are worth preserving. When we see a proposal, it is always marketed as being better than what was before, more energy efficient, etc. But I suspect the percentage of what goes up today, that will be looked back on as classic / world class, and the amount of relative improvement to other generations, is no better or worse than before.

[lux]

Winnipeg, and even Calgary, seem to have done a better job of keeping hold of this kind of building. I actually think we need to rebuild them from original plans.

Great thread btw.

[IanO]

Originally Posted by lux

Winnipeg, and even Calgary, seem to have done a better job of keeping hold of this kind of building. I actually think we need to rebuild them from original plans.

Great thread btw.

^we can only have progress by knowing our past (mistakes in this case)

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

Here's a wrist slasher. Go to the Glenbow's archives and search your favorite street and avenue. Jasper Avenue is a nice start.

http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesPhotosSearch.aspx

Cheer up, Ian. Tomorrow is a new year!

s.

[MylesC]

Originally Posted by lux

Winnipeg, and even Calgary, seem to have done a better job of keeping hold of this kind of building. I actually think we need to rebuild them from original plans.

Great thread btw.

I completely disagree.

Winnipeg has kept its old buildings due to the simple fact that it fell from grace, as it were.

Calgary's remnants along Stephen Avenue have survived due to that area not being the first choice for office tower developments. As the Penny Lane demolisment has shown, all it takes is a single building permit to level and entire block.

Every major Canadian city, particularly Western cities, has failed miserably in preserving it's historic architecture due to the simple fact that we're young and don't have much of a history yet...even less so in the 1970s when the oil boom was upon us.

RE: KING EDWARD HOTEL

Something is certainly amiss. If one looks at the City archives for photos, there are results with a much more modern building showing up:

http://archivesphotos.edmonton.ca/de...9320&language=

Further demonstrated by the following, in which the Eaton's building is clearly visible:

http://archivesphotos.edmonton.ca/de...5003&language=

Ergo, the EPL *really* needs to do some clarification on their lost building site.

[TerryH]

Unfortunately, what killed off those grand buildings is that Jasper and 101st was and still is the center of town and to put the newer ones away from there wasn't, in my mind, feasible.

If they could've decided to move the center to Jasper and 97th, I think that many of the newer structures could've been built on the eastern side of 97th, taking out a lot of the dead buildings that still remain and possibly stretched downtown to 95th St.

[Kevin_Foster]

This thread makes me sad

[Renton]

Originally Posted by MylesC

I completely disagree.

Winnipeg has kept its old buildings due to the simple fact that it fell from grace, as it were.

Not entirely true... Winnipeg development just shifted south to Portage avenue, Broadway, and Osborne Street. The fact that Winnipeg had a much larger stock of pre-1930 buildings to begin with, coupled with the city's economic downturn after the opening of the Panama Canal, obviously helped as well.

[ThomasH]

I feel that only a few of the old buildings were worth preserving, there were alot of old buildings in downtown that didn't fit in downtown as Edmonton got bigger. Of the few buildings worth preserving there was a large number of one or two storey wood framed buildings that weren't meant to last a hundred years. For example, the group of shops just north of Hotel McDonald were all small wood framed buildings that were meant to be replaced with something better. Those buildings were replaced with a park that no one seems to mind. Does anyone wish the old gas stations were still around? I don't. How about the old car dealership? Pantages Theatre dosn't strike me as a big city theatre so I don't miss the building. Compared to other cities accross North America Edmonton's old building stock isn't all that spectacular save for the Hotel McDonald, the Legislature, the old King Edward Hotel, the Tegler building, and the Imperial Bank of Canada building etc. Let's face it, Edmonton was just a town 100 years ago.

[ThomasH]

Take a look at the picture above, from the left I see a wood framed building followed by a HOUSE followed by the Empire Block that is worth saving. Further to the right you see 2 tiny wood framed buildings followed by a SHACK and another small building.

[LindseyT]

what, no Cecil?

The Tegler was the biggest loss imo. Might not be the best looking of the group, but the street interaction would have been fantastic.

[Kevin_Foster]

Although this is being replaced by something nice at least. Hopefully we don't end up demolishing the new one in 30 years time!

[MacCanada]

Why does looking at this thread, and old buildings in Edmonton, that have been demolished remind me of the song You Don't Know What You've Got (until You Lose It) by Ral Donner 1960's ballad...

[IanO]

[IanO]

[Wrecker]

Sadly...history continues to repeat itself!

[Blueline]

Edmonton Public Library Web site of "Lost Buildings of Edmonton"

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...%3Den%26sa%3DN

[Blueline]

City of Edmonton Archives
GREAT resource best accessed in person

http://archivesphotos.edmonton.ca/de...?categoryid=40

[Medwards]

I think the saddest thing we lost was our street car network...

[KC]

...just updating Blueline's the link above for the Public Library's "Lost Buildings of Edmonton" page

It wasn't obvious to me but you have to CLICK ON THE DATE RANGES. I found my way back there via Blueline's link but at first I left thinking the web page was still under construction.
Also, once in the photo collection you can click on the photo for dedicated images and pages (this too isn't all that obvious to the uninitiated).

http://www.epl.ca/EPLPhotoBuildings.cfm



...and... you can then manually scroll in yourself on the images to see even more detail to read signage etc. It would be great if added a full screen, hi-res zoom option on each photo.

(Damn, that library was a great loss. Pool Construction's first big project too! If only they'd reproduce it somewhere today, say in Fort Edmonton, or as a PCL project. )

[Komrade]

great thread! I can think of a few more buildings I would hate to loose

The strech of Jasper just past the Shaw down to almost 95 (its a crap hole now, but the buildings are wonderful)

Even the York Hotel should be re-used / re-invited, along with the Transit too!

[newfangled]

Hopefully I'll have more time to work on this shortly, but there are reasonably accurate 3d models of a few lost buildings here.

[24karat]

Originally Posted by Medwards

I think the saddest thing we lost was our street car network...

That was huge. What were they thinking?

[newfangled]

^ Rather than being "lost" streetcars systems across north america were basically systematically dismantled by GM. I don't know how much that specifically applies to Edmonton and the complicated history of privately owned streetcar lines, but GM's behaviour through the 50's was found to be in violation of american anti-trust laws:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal

[Edmcowboy11]

It makes me want to cry everytime I see some of these old buildings that the city has lost but can there not be a way that we can recapture our past? For example the library building, couldn't we build a building to be almost identical in appearance to this one but with all the modern ammenities and technologies in it. A building like that would automatically bring attention to itself especially if it were located in the right location. Personally I don't see a problem in building a brand new building where the architectural style may not be common anymore. If it looks good and it fits into the fabric of the community then why not. I can imagine that building built somewhere in the government district and it could even be made to be a library and museum, sort of like a mini version of the Library of Congress in the states, lets call it the Library of Lesgislature.

[Gemini]

Thanks for taking the time to post all those pictures. Some of them were before my time. It's too bad they were not preserved.

[MagicMonkey]

Here's one that, if you read the uses the Realtor suggests for the property, will soon be lost.
http://www.mls.ca/propertyDetails.as...ertyId=8800158

[SteveB]

The law courts building always gets me - demolished for a f@#%&^g shopping mall as well.

Can we have a thread re the crap they didn't knock down while planners were busy destroying the local heritage?

[Gemini]

I have a picture of an old Edmonton "clinker brickbuilding". It used to be a telephone exchange at one point. It looks like a house actually. I doubt if it is still standing though.

[Neumanic]

I assume everyone contributing lost buildings are gutted that the Cromdale Hotel will be torn down instead of creatively adapted?

[Gemini]

Originally Posted by Mnemonic

I assume everyone contributing lost buildings are gutted that the Cromdale Hotel will be torn down instead of creatively adapted?

Gutted that the Cromdale is coming down. NOT.
Someone would have to have a fabulous imagination to creatively adapter that eyesore.
It was not even an overly attractive building when it was first build.
Nothing spectacular.

[MrOilers]

The Cromdale is a piece of crap that long outlived its welcome 15 years ago. It's not even close to the same league as these buildings.

And I'll still stand by that statement 50 years from now, too.

[MrOilers]

The worst part about losing these buildings is not that they were lost, but what they were replaced with.

New buildings are fine, but in the process of replacing these neat old buildings, everything was internalized and the streets around them died. It's going to take decades to correct that.

[moahunter]

On a more positive note, as nice as some of those buildings were, at least we didn't lose a Crystal Palace (decline, then fire, not unlike some Edmonton buildings, or buildings anywhere):



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Palace

Was "Great Exhibition" the origin of modern expo?

And at least, quite a bit of history has been preserved at Fort Edmonton Park (which IMO is a good place for buildings that aren't really economic to upgrade to modern standards, but are historically interesting).

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Posted on SSP - the Corona Hotel plus previous location of Chez Pierre circa 1980. I prefer this over the First Edmonton Place office building plus the parking lot that replaced it.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

[Sonic Death Monkey]

A guy named Sun Chaser (note that the Corona Hotel pic is his) has got a section on extinct buildings:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sun_cha...7605893381399/

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

Holy *****. That's one of the best examples of our city before the demolition craze hit.. Thanks for posting it.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by IanO

Thought i would start a thread to show how much we have taken away from Edmonton and perhaps have people stand up for historical structures a little more. Imagine some of these there today and how interesting it they would be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old Woodward`s department store stands proudly fitted with flags and bunting, ready to celebrate the royal visit. While Sam Cherniak sells popcorn to passersby on the 102 Avenue corner, the new Eaton`s department store is in the midst of construction on the other side of 101 Street. The building shown here includes the original Woodward`s store, which opened on this site on October 15, 1926, and the three additional bays built onto the north, nearest the Royal George Hotel, in 1929 and 1932. By September, 1940, fourth and fifth storeys were added as well. In June, 1974, the building was demolished to be replaced by the new Edmonton Centre complex.

Edmonton: Portrait of a City (page 175)

Photo Date: circa 1929
Photographer:
Address:
Built: (Opened: 1926)
Demolished: 1974



The King Edward Hotel was built in 1904 with additions in 1908 and 1940s. The architect was M.A. Magoon. It acquired an addition in 1910 that allowed it to surpass the Alberta Hotel as Edmonton's leading hotel. It was located on 1st Street (now 101st Street) and 102nd Avenue and burned to the ground in 1982 to be replaced by the ManuLife Building.


Photo Date: unknown
Photographer:
Address: 101st Street and 102nd Avenue.
Built: (Built: 1904)
Demolished: 1982



The Empire Block was constructed in 1905 by McDougall and Secord, Ltd. as an office and retail building. Liggett`s Owl Drugs Company Ltd. occupied most of the main floor while the upper three floors were reserved for offices. In 1942, a fire severely damaged the building, but it reopened three months later. In 1962, the old Empire Building was torn down by the McDougall-Secord Company to make room for the new 11-storey Empire Building completed in 1963. The McDougall-Secord Company continues to maintain offices at this site.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: 1905
Photographer:
Address: 10113 101 Street
Built: (Built: 1905)
Demolished: 1962



This Neo-Classical style "temple" was built in 1907 on the site of Edmonton`s first bank, situated here since 1892. Built at a cost of $90,000, the new sandstone structure displayed an elegant marble interior and porcelain tile floor. An interesting feature was its special room for women customers who wished to deposit their real estate gains without the knowledge of their husbands. The second floor housed the offices of a law firm, and the third floor was reserved for bank clerk living quarters. In 1950, the building was demolished to make room for the present six storey Imperial Bank, constructed in 1952.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: 1908
Photographer:
Address: 9990 Jasper Avenue
Built: (Built: 1907)
Demolished: 1950



Constructed from 1907 to 1910 by the Federal government, this building was Edmonton`s main northside Post Office for 56 years. It was a distinctive Edmonton landmark with its copper mansard roof, cupola windows, domed clock tower, and Manitoba Tyndall stone exterior. In 1967, the city purchased the building and in 1972 sold it to Leamar Developments for the construction of the Edmonton Plaza Hotel, presently the Westin Hotel. Leamar demolished the Post Office that year, and the famous clock and tower were dismantled and stored for future reconstruction on the original site. But the clock tower stonework was reused in a memorial gardens monument, so a modern clock tower was specifically designed for the original clock and mechanism. The new clock tower was installed in 1978 on the north end of the Westin Hotel site through the generosity of an anonymous donor.

Edmonton`s Lost Heritage

Photo Date: circa 1915
Photographer:
Address: 100 Street, 101A Avenue
Built: (Built: 1907-1910)
Demolished: 1972

I did not know that king edward hotel was burned to the ground in 1982 so do you know why it happened ??

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

what year is that photo is taken ??

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ Dunno...mid-1970s, I guess.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

^ Dunno...mid-1970s, I guess.

wow , downtown looks different back then I can see the buidling where city centre mall east stand today

[etownboarder]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

Posted on SSP - the Corona Hotel plus previous location of Chez Pierre circa 1980. I prefer this over the First Edmonton Place office building plus the parking lot that replaced it.

Wow... awesome building. I had no idea this was what preceded First Edmonton Place.

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

^ Dunno...mid-1970s, I guess.

I saw the Tegler Dynamited in 82. Pre 81 for sure. A great pic for a history buff.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by cnr67

I saw the Tegler Dynamited in 82. Pre 81 for sure. A great pic for a history buff.

this photo of downtown must be between 1972 - 1975 because TD tower on top of city centre mall east was built around after 1978

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by etownboarder

Wow... awesome building. I had no idea this was what preceded First Edmonton Place.

I noticed that boston pizza was on that building and today it was moved across the street from that location

[cnr67]

The Ritz Hotel on 97st @ 103 ave. I have the pic from 1947 but am not permitted to upload it. E mail me for it if you wish at cnr67@aim.com.
Cheers,
Chris

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by jagators63

this photo of downtown must be between 1972 - 1975 because TD tower on top of city centre mall east was built around after 1978

Probably early 70s.
You can see the Marshall-Wells building at 103 St and 104 Ave (where Greyhound is now) with the water tank on top, which was demolished in the mid-70s.
http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_vi...ONTENT_ID=1979

[Sonic Death Monkey]

BTW, where exactly is the King Edward Hotel in that early 70s pic?

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

BTW, where exactly is the King Edward Hotel in that early 70s pic?

it is where manulife building stand today

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Yes I know it used be where Manulife is now, but which building? The white one across from the Tegler? Or south of it?

[jagators63]

actually it is right across the street from city centre mall west and it is brown building and some small retail stores along on 101 st.


scroll back up and u can see the pic of king edward hotel says it is on 102 ave and 101 st

The King Edward Hotel was built in 1904 with additions in 1908 and 1940s. The architect was M.A. Magoon. It acquired an addition in 1910 that allowed it to surpass the Alberta Hotel as Edmonton's leading hotel. It was located on 1st Street (now 101st Street) and 102nd Avenue and burned to the ground in 1982 to be replaced by the ManuLife Building.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by ThomasH

I feel that only a few of the old buildings were worth preserving, there were alot of old buildings in downtown that didn't fit in downtown as Edmonton got bigger. Of the few buildings worth preserving there was a large number of one or two storey wood framed buildings that weren't meant to last a hundred years. For example, the group of shops just north of Hotel McDonald were all small wood framed buildings that were meant to be replaced with something better. Those buildings were replaced with a park that no one seems to mind. Does anyone wish the old gas stations were still around? I don't. How about the old car dealership? Pantages Theatre dosn't strike me as a big city theatre so I don't miss the building. Compared to other cities accross North America Edmonton's old building stock isn't all that spectacular save for the Hotel McDonald, the Legislature, the old King Edward Hotel, the Tegler building, and the Imperial Bank of Canada building etc. Let's face it, Edmonton was just a town 100 years ago.

there is nothing you can do about it, if the building got caught a fire like arlington apts, and old king edward hotel.

[PJC]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

Probably early 70s.
You can see the Marshall-Wells building at 103 St and 104 Ave (where Greyhound is now) with the water tank on top, which was demolished in the mid-70s.
http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_vi...ONTENT_ID=1979

Judging by the livery on the ETS bus, this would've been late 70s, when they went to the white, blue and gold scheme from the deep orange and cream coloured scheme.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by Mercucio

Judging by the livery on the ETS bus, this would've been late 70s, when they went to the white, blue and gold scheme from the deep orange and cream coloured scheme.

Nope , not in the late 70's because other tower behind TD tower was built in 1974 , TD tower on was built in 1976 and oxford tower was built in 1978

you can check the link .......http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=5

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by jagators63

actually it is right across the street from city centre mall west and it is brown building and some small retail stores along on 101 st.

Uhm, I don't see any brown buildings on the Manulife site.

Can anyone else tell where the King Edward Hotel is in that early 70s pic?
Ian? Myles? Igniters?

[IGNITERS]

The KING is right accross the street from the TEGLER building , it has a white/lt grey finish ...sorta cornered by the Tegler and the amazing old EATONS building!
So sad to see this and know that this landscape is gone forever and still not replaced with jetsons like bubble top buildings with space car landing pads and moving sidewalk pedways lol
those buildings, the TEGLER ,KING EDDY and EATONS were fantastic examples of a city that was all about downtown!

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ So they reclad the King Edward with white/grey?

[IGNITERS]

HUH?....reclad?...it was never a brown building as fas as I know .....
It burned up REALLY BAD!....was a HUGE fire! the Edmonton Archives has a few wild photos of it and probably every fire truck in town trying to save it but .....nope ,gone daddy gone

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ But if you look in the first post in the thread, the King Edward is depicted as originally a brick building.

[IGNITERS]

well my memory of over a hundred years ago is as fuzzy as that photo lol

"The King Edward Hotel was built in 1904 with additions in 1908 and 1940s"
gonna assume that this may have been where the final exterior was done....( it's in the picture too)lol

[PJC]

Originally Posted by jagators63

Nope , not in the late 70's because other tower behind TD tower was built in 1974 , TD tower on was built in 1976 and oxford tower was built in 1978

you can check the link .......http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=5

Sorry, I may be referring to the wrong picture. The one I'm referring to is the one that looks northwest from 101st, directly across the street from what is now Manulife

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Tegler...where BoM is now, at SE corner of 101 St and 102 Ave.
King Edward...white building across the street from Tegler, SW corner of 101 St and 102 Ave.
Eaton Centre plus the block west of it....is now City Centre West.

[PJC]

^ Yeah, know all that. I'm going to assume you're not referring to me. The picture I'm talking about is definitely from the late 70s with the white liveried ETS bus on 102nd street in the lower left of the picture. ETS started to incorporate that livery in 1977 so it absolutely a LATE 70s picture.

I figured Jagatars was referring to another picture as he references Edmonton Centre towers that aren't even in frame in the picture I'm talking about.

[jagators63]

@ mercuico

sonic death monkey was talking to me about the old photo of downtown and last night I did not realized that 102 st and 102 ave on north side were gone as 2 building were joined together to became one building what is now city centre west and centre east got the first tower in 1974 so meaning this old photo must be between 1977 - 1980 but not sure, depending on the 2 nd tower in 1976 which was right behind TD tower and also oxford tower was built in 1978. we do not know what year this old photo is taken ??

[jagators63]

@ sonic death monkey, I did check old postcard of edmonton here in c2e and now I have see the old greyhound station was on northwest corner of 102 st and 102 st.

remember I lived in ontario for the most of my life and I just moved here twice 1997 and 2000, so I have noticed that old photo of downtown looks so much different back then. there is many buildings in that old photo were gone so it is kinda sad !!

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

^ But if you look in the first post in the thread, the King Edward is depicted as originally a brick building.

In regards to the King Edward Hotel, I believe the original was brick as in the first post, and that it burned down to be replaced by the second King Edward Hotel in the 1940's?
Finally to be demolished to make way for Manulife Place where Holt Renfrew stands today.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

^ Dunno...mid-1970s, I guess.

I think it must have been around '78 as you can see the ETS bus on 102nd street that is white and I think they introduced that colour scheme around the time of the Commonwealth Games.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by darrellinyvr

In regards to the King Edward Hotel, I believe the original was brick as in the first post, and that it burned down to be replaced by the second King Edward Hotel in the 1940's?
Finally to be demolished to make way for Manulife Place where Holt Renfrew stands today.

check the post #1 about this hotel and it doesn't mention anything about this hotel burn to the ground the first time and it says expand it twice and then in 1982 , it was destroyed by the fire.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by jagators63

check the post #1 about this hotel and it doesn't mention anything about this hotel burn to the ground the first time and it says expand it twice and then in 1982 , it was destroyed by the fire.

Being that I grew up here and I have read a lot on Edmontons history,
Try (Tony Cashmans Edmonton Stories) I seem to remember reading somewhere a long time ago that the hotel burned twice ( I could be wrong)
Just because the first post did not mention two fires does NOT mean it didn't happen.

That would explain tthe two totally different styles of hotel in the two photos's. Also fires back then were a lot more common than the present.

[jagators63]

Originally Posted by darrellinyvr

Being that I grew up here and I have read a lot on Edmontons history,
Try (Tony Cashmans Edmonton Stories) I seem to remember reading somewhere a long time ago that the hotel burned twice ( I could be wrong)
Just because the first post did not mention two fires does NOT mean it didn't happen.

That would explain tthe two totally different styles of hotel in the two photos's. Also fires back then were a lot more common than the present.

there is another hotel got burned to the ground was at southwest corner of jasper ave and 101 st where royal bank now stands. this hotel is old name known as windsor hotel then change to shelkirk ?? in 1962

[NielCole]

You got me there, That corner I don't remember anything, Since the Royal Bank building has been there my entire lifetime or so.

I just remember the King Edward since Manulife Place started around 1982 or so. After the fire destroyed the hotel.

[jagators63]

you can check out the photo of windsor hotel

http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum...tel#post253670 look for post # 125

[jagators63]

you can look for many old photo of downtown Edmonton


http://www.culture.alberta.ca/archiv...s/default.aspx

then click "buildings and memorials" and you will have to search many lost buildings from Edmonton in the photos at this website

[jagators63]

I believe that there is between 70 - 150 buildiings in downtown core from 1965 till now were gone so why city have let the old buildings be demolished for what reasons ?? I saw there is many were gone as I saw in Provincal alberta archives photo

for example in 1968 photo I have see the store called johnstore walker right beside royal bank building on the southeast corner of 102 st and jasper ave and today it was gone and now it is a small park on that corner. there is a building called strand mat___ building featuring kerry's and ace men's wear on the southwest corner of 102 st and jasper ave were gone as well

[armin]

I wish the city gallery worked as well as that one. I also wish that one let you save a higher resolution copy.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by jagators63

I believe that there is between 70 - 150 buildiings in downtown core from 1965 till now were gone so why city have let the old buildings be demolished for what reasons ?? I saw there is many were gone as I saw in Provincal alberta archives photo

for example in 1968 photo I have see the store called johnstore walker right beside royal bank building on the southeast corner of 102 st and jasper ave and today it was gone and now it is a small park on that corner. there is a building called strand mat___ building featuring kerry's and ace men's wear on the southwest corner of 102 st and jasper ave were gone as well

Johnstone-Walker was a department store that went out of business in and around 1976, the land was sold to a developer (Stewart Green of Calgary) They were going to build a tower of around 20 floors.
Due to the arrival of Commonwealth Games they put in a temporary park for the games.
I don't know what happened to the plans for the tower but the park has remained ever since. The Strand Theatre was built long before the 60's and it was torn down for the building that stands there today.

A lot vanished but a lot still remains, The reason we lost so much is due to the oil booms of the 60's and 70's, Edmonton and Calgary transformed from rather backwater prairie cities (Winnipeg was way larger) to the two largest cities in the priaire provinces in a fairly short period of time.
The perception of "progress" in those decades was different from what it is now....

[MylesC]

They're not going to let you save a higher resolution copy for free. Archives need to cover the costs of such projects somehow

You will note, however, that both the City and Provincial archives are very accessible (monetary wise) compared to the charges the Glenbow has on some items.

[KC]

Another construction season has passed by - are there any important updates for this thread?

[IanO]

The little theatre on jasper.

[Edmcowboy11]

which one is that?

[IanO]

http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view2?CONTENT_ID=1321

[PJC]

^^ Gem Theatre.