Welcome to our “Featured Home”.This restored historic home is in Calgary, Alberta and is the result of a community recognizing the importance of preserving architectural heritage for future generations. The photos were taken prior to the completion of the project which is why the rooms are somewhat empty! It's well worth a visit the next time you go to Calgary.

Questions? Email us at johanne@fromtimespast.com . Your feedback is appreciated.

On the twelfth of February, 1892, 707 - 13 th Avenue S.W. was ablaze with lights as one of Calgary 's prominent couples celebrated the opening of their new home. "Beaulieu" House, its official name, saw 130 of the Senator and Lady Isabella Lougheed's closest friends, relatives and colleagues join them at their housewarming ball. 113 years later, on April 9 th , 2005, the beautifully restored Victorian mansion once again will host such an event. The story of the survival of this architectural gem is a testimonial to the power of serendipity and a community's commitment and vision.

THE LOUGHEEDS

James Alexander Lougheed (1854 - 1925) was born in Brampton , Ontario . While still young, his family moved to Toronto . After working several jobs he decided to return to school, eventually finishing law school in 1877. He practiced law in Toronto until 1882 when, as many young men did at the time, he moved west to seek his fame and fortune.

In 1883 he met Isabella Hardisty (1859 - 1936), a third generation member of a very prominent fur trading family with the Hudson 's Bay Company. Isabella had moved west to live with her uncle Richard Hardisty. James and Isabella married in 1884 with Reverend John McDougall officiating .

This advantageous marriage combined with James' ambition and education propelled his career. In 1889 he assumed the senate seat vacated by Isabella's uncle's death. In 1896 he and RB Bennett (later the prime minister of Canada ) started their own law firm, Lougheed and Bennett. In 1906 he became Senate house leader when the Conservatives regained power in Ottowa. In 1916 he was knighted as a reward for his services as Chairman of the Military Hospitals Commission.

James Lougheed was an outspoken supporter of the concept of provincehood for Alberta , and a champion of the province's ability to keep control over its own natural resources. He invested in real estate (some reports suggest he owned as much as 60% of Calgary at that time), and businesses. His interests included newspapers, utility companies, and oil. He was a keen supporter of the arts and was a founding member of the prestigious "Ranchman's Club".

In 1901, the Lougheeds were chosen to represent Canada at the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. They entertained royalty and dignitaries as well as the many of the worthwhile organizations that Lady Isabella personally supported.

After the senator's death in 1925, the family's financial woes began. His estate was held up in the courts for years eventually succumbing to the effects if the Great Depression of 1929 on property values. In 1934 the city of Calgary took legal possession of Beaulieu House, however Lady Isabella was allowed to live in the home until her death in 1936. In 1938 the contents of Beaulieu House were dispersed via public auction.

OTHER GROUPS

In 1939, Beaulieu House became the home of the newly formed Dominion Provincial Youth Employment Training Program where young women were taught how to be office workers, hospital attendants and domestic servants.

The Canadian Women's Army Corps later used the house as a military barrack. The Southern Alberta chapter of the Red Cross established a blood donor clinic in the house while CWAC occupied it, and stayed on after they left it. Eventually, in 1948 the Red Cross bought the house and grounds for $10,000.

THREATS AND SOLUTIONS

In 1978, as the Red Cross expanded its operations it became evident that the house was too small for their needs. The dark threat of demolition loomed. However, the province of Alberta , (having designated the structure a Provincial Historic Resource in 1976) stepped in and negotiated an exchange of land for the house. Albeit well cared for by a resident caretaker / security guard, Beaulieu sat empty for a decade.

In 1988, the Historical Society of Alberta was on a quest to find suitable office space. At the urging of one of their members, they decided to look at Beaulieu House. The non profit group quickly realized the enormous potential and importance of the building.

Enthusiasm fueled the newly formed Lougheed House Committee's lobbying efforts as they worked tirelessly to convince the politicians and the public to preserve the house and gardens. They also convinced the city to buy the adjacent private property. Three walk- up apartments had been demolished in the 1970's boom years to make room for twin 18 story high rise towers. Serendipitously the recession of the 80's left the plan unrealized with the property empty, unused and for sale. The original pasture and formal garden was purchased in 1993 and the entire estate was back to being publicly owned.

In 1995 the Lougheed House Conservation Society (LHCS) under the directorship of Trudy Cowan (also past chair of Heritage Canada Foundation) was created. Its sole purpose was to "facilitate the restoration and reclamation of Beaulieu House into a public heritage facility". In June of the same year Beaulieu was designated a National Historic Site.

THE HOUSE and GARDENS

In 1886, a large fire in downtown Calgary destroyed fourteen wooden buildings. Thereafter sandstone became the building material of choice. Architect James R. Bowes used this material very effectively in his concept for Beaulieu. A true product of his time, Bowes borrowed freely from the French Chateau, Romanesque Revival and the Queen Anne styles.

Very little has changed over the years in spite of the varied uses and requirements of each of the house's owners. Beaulieu has survived remarkably intact as is evidenced by the various probes and analyses that were conducted on the house throughout its restoration. Original finishes were restored when and where possible.

Wallpaper, in typical Victorian style (walls as well as ceilings were papered) was buried under layers of paint. Some has been restored, some left to be done in the future. Lincrusta, a linoleum-like molded wall covering made in England , was applied in its original location in a design that closely mimicked the original. Painted gold and softened with a black transparent glaze, the wall covering glows beautifully next to the restored millwork.

On the next floor, the original Anaglypta, another English made wall covering made of embossed paper was saved. Damage occurred when the specialists attempted to remove the many layers of paint so the decision was made to repaint the wall covering in exactly the same manner as the original. This necessitated hundreds of hours of paid and volunteer labor, the only place where volunteers were used in the actual restoration of the site.

It is possible for the public to view some of the original details throughout the house by consulting framed Plexiglas"cut outs" showing early wallpaper, lath and plaster and wall construction. A small closet sized room was left intact showing the abundance and style of wallpaper that was considered the height of fashion in its day.

There are fireplaces in every room in spite of the house having central heating. Many wood mantles have been stripped of their layers of paint and varnished as they were originally, others have been left painted ready to tackle in the future. Tiles, where missing or damaged, have been replicated and reinstalled. The hot water system is still totally functional. Spectacular stained glass panels still exist although the design that was original to the domed skylight before it was removed is still elusive.

The public enters through the lower floors where guests danced the night away in the ballroom. Safety issues and building codes required the addition of an elevator (ingeniously installed in a front porch) and bathrooms. The latter was housed in the original "trunk rooms", so named because of the profuse number of trunks holding clothing and personal goods of the Lougheed family and continuous guests.

The light fixtures were restored where possible and new ones replicated as required. Many original objects were returned or donated to the society. During the Red Cross's occupation of the home, a caretaker, unwilling to throw out beautiful but broken or outdated elements of the house, returned stained glass panels, shutters - even the innards of a fireplace - much to the delighted astonishment of the society.

LOUGHEED HOUSE TODAY

Beaulieu appeals to us on many levels - whether one is interested in architectural preservation and restoration, gardening, local and national history or education. In spite of this, getting funds to continue this mission has never been easy. The need to sell the value of restoring a heritage building is always there. What Beaulieu meant to Calgarians became evident from the response to the vandalism that occurred to the house in July of 2004.

The house and gardens are designed to represent the past but not be a slave to it. No room is off limits behind a rope barricade. Antique furniture and accessories belong to the collection and are displayed in vignettes meant to illustrate how the house was furnished in its hey day. All other furniture is modern. One bedroom has been designated as an archival research center and its computers may seem incongruous with its surroundings.

Volunteers are the life blood in any such project. Over 110 volunteers (40 alone in the gardens) help to operate the site. All pertinent personnel are to be dressed in period costume thanks to the direction of historic costume experts and volunteer seamstresses.

The staff are passionate about Beaulieu, from the painter to the program director. Executive director Trudy Cowan, a driving force behind this undertaking since its inception, is adamant that the house is a public heritage centre, not a house museum. The experience of being in the house and the gardens is intended to touch people and to engage them in the restoration process. When asked what was Beaulieu's greatest significance, she answered unhesitatingly " That it is still here - and that it is still able to make people feel personal about it, and ultimately make our community feel good about itself."

It is fitting that the anniversary of our province's birth, 2005, is also the year when Beaulieu House is reborn. In 1932, Lady Lougheed was interviewed by a reporter for the Calgary Herald. In the ensuing article she was quoted as having "regretfully noted the demolition of landmarks and buildings that recall the beginnings of the city. Like many others, she believed that a society for the preservation of these historical spots would be of great value, although too late now to save Calgary 's early structures." No doubt Lady Lougheed, if still alive, would appreciate the irony that it was one of these very societies that was so instrumental in preserving her beloved Beaulieu.

Written by Johanne Yakula,

From Times Past

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