“The Highlands community was developed in the building boom between 1910 and 1914. Edmonton’s population had been growing at a startling rate, up from 24,000 in 1904 to over 77,000 in 1914! Real estate developers William Magrath and Bidwell Holgate dreamed of an exclusive retreat neighborhood along the high, “delightfully situated” northern bank of the North Saskatchewan River. The name “Highlands” was chosen in a contest that was part of a well planned publicity campaign in the Edmonton Bulletin, and the winner, 19 year old S. Loughlin, carried off a prize of $50 in gold.” (Excerpt from Historic Walks of Edmonton” by Kathryn Ivany.

I

The only city streetcar that connected Highlands to the city core went along 112 th Avenue (known as Pine Avenue) and only as far as today’s 63 street (known then as Irwin Street).

It is along this street that this house was built, presumably in 1912 by George Gibson, who is shown in the Henderson’s Directory as a carpenter for Nesbitt and Miller. He was also a teamster for Magrath and Holgate in 1915. The following years show the house occupied by a variety of other early Edmontonians.  Finally, in 1921 and 1922 records show Lawrence H. Bell, a mechanic, and Lorne H. Bell, a machinist who had his own business, moved into this home. They and their descendants lived in the house until approximately 1997.

The current owners have continued to improve the home without changing the character of the house. The abundance of original detail was one of the most important aspects in their decision to buy this home. Take a tour with them…

LIVING ROOM

Like all the walls in the house, these walls have been wallpapered over and over again without any attempt to remove the previous paper (very common for houses of that vintage). The final layer of paper was then painted over by previous owners. Wanting to keep the texture of the walls, the owners simply painted the room over the current white color with a historic gold color.

The living room is longer than what is expected in typical "four square" homes of this era. It appears that the original carpenter chose to make the living room longer rather than have a full size porch as shown in neighboring homes. The fact that the foundation does not follow the room’s contour shows in the slightly differing slope of the floor.

The light fixtures and wall sconces are somewhat of an anomaly. The styling is closer to the fixtures of the 1920's yet the wall sconces appear to have been hard wired when the house was built - there is no indication that the walls were opened up at a later date. A large original plaster medallion acts as a focal point.

The fireplace is original; however it is believed that the fireplace may have been a different color at one time.The gas insert works beautifully and its heat provides a welcome respite from cold wintry days. The sofa and chair are from the 1920’s, the desk from C1900 and the chair from C1865.

DINING ROOM

"Portieres”, curtains made of tapestry or other heavy plush fabrics were popular during that time and were usually hung inside the woodwork that separated the living room from the dining room. This kept the rooms separate when required. These portieres were sewn  by the owner from a heavy chenille tapestry fabric and decorated with tassels and rope. (not shown).

The original woodwork really shines in this room. The room features a fir double plate rail with vertical dividers below it that cap the 8 inch base boards. The windows casings and wavy glass are all original . The hardware is still on the window in the same manner as what it was in 1912. The light fixture over the dining room table is known as a “pan chandelier” and it is surrounded by an original plaster medallion. The antiques in this room are from the late Victorian and Edwardian era. (C1865 – C1910).

KITCHEN

Given our busy lifestyles few people will appreciate a 1912 kitchen today. The only cupboards in this room were situated in the east corner in an alcove that presumably was part of the porch. Note the cut out door. There is no insulation in these cupboards and a 3litre bottle of coke froze and exploded a week after the current owners moved in!

Note the original sugar and flour bins, and the door hardware. The other cupboards were added in an attempt to create a temporary kitchen until a complete renovation can be done in this area.

SECOND LEVEL

The second floor consists of the four bedrooms and a bathroom plus a closed in porch that doubles as a reading room during any weather except for only the coldest days of the year.

The bathroom was renovated by the previous owners, but brought up to date by adding Anaglypta to the walls and a new over sink cupboard. The tub is original. No changes have been made in either the office or main bedroom to date other than basic painting.

The guest bedroom has been renovated with a new ceiling and repairs to the walls from damage by a roof leaking onto the plaster. New wallpaper keeps the character of the room. Old patterns of wallpaper discovered on the walls during the repairs have been documented. 

OTHER DETAILS & PROJECTS 

The house is a balloon framed building with lath and plaster walls. The original, huge, “octopus” gravity furnace is still in working condition. The house sits on a double wide lot (66’ x 135’) and several landscaping projects are planned for this summer, such as new grass, a gazebo and much more. As is the case in any house, this home is definitely a work in progress.

Written By Johanne Yakula

Sources: From Times Past Antique Furniture and Accessories

If you would like to receive our Restoration / Decoration ezine approximately once every six weeks click here to subscribe. Please forward this article or our web site address to someone who might enjoy it and don't forget to add us to your favorites! Thank you!