Mrs. Edworthy House possible redevelopment

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Mrs. Edworthy House possible redevelopment

Postby newsposter » Mon Jun 05, 2006 9:56 am

There is speculation regarding a two tower condominium project on the NW corner of 12th Avenue and 11th Street SW.

At the west end of the site is a 1908 brick house that from 1908 to 1934 was the home of Mrs. Mary Edworthy (nee MacArthur), widow of pioneer businessman Thomas Edworthy, and their children. Mary was also the widow of Alex Ross, the first photographer in Calgary. Mary's son George Edworthy also lived in the house as an adult between 1924 and 1931 with his wife Myrle. George was an important civic figure in Calgary and served as President of the Stampede Board. Her other son Thomas P. (Percival) also lived there as an adult from 1928-1930. Mary died in 1934.

The building is not on the municipal heritage inventory and its historic occupants were not known until recently. Thank you to the Alberta Historical Preservation and Rebuilding Society for rooting out the information in their Connaught Building Survey. Scroll below the photo for more information.
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The following is adapted from a biographical sketch on the website of the Archives Society of Alberta (link at bottom).

Mary MacArthur of Pictou, Nova Scotia was married to Alex Ross, one of the first photographers in Alberta. They arrived in Calgary in 1885. Alex died as a young man in 1894. Mary's sister, Millie, also came to Calgary and married George Livingston (note: not to be confused with Sam Livingston) in 1893, who was another early pioneer of the Calgary district.

In 1897 the widow married Thomas Edworthy, who had immigrated to Ontario from England in 1872 and moved to Alberta in 1883. Edworthy homesteaded on a half section along the south bank of the Bow River. He raised a market garden and opened a sandstone quarry on his property. Many of Calgary's older buildings were built from Edworthy Quarry stone. Edworthy later entered into the cattle ranching business. Thomas and Mary Edworthy had two children. Percival was born in 1898 and George was born in 1899. Thomas died in 1904 of Typhoid Fever. Widowed again, Mary and the children moved into Calgary in 1906 (apparently into 1226 12th Avenue SW by 1908).

The City of Calgary gradually grew to encompass the land that the Edworthy family had homesteaded. Some of the land surrounding the house was made into Edworthy Park. The homestead house was designated as a Provincial Historic Resource in 1987.

George Edworthy worked in various capacities at United Grain Growers, including Superintendent of the Grain Commission Department. He also served with the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede as President, and served as President of the Kinsmen Club of Calgary. His later home in Scarboro is on the municipal list of potential historic sites.

Links:
Early Days in Edworthy Park and the Neighboring areas of Brickburn and Lowery Gardens by The Edworthy Park Heritage Society. Includes biographical information about Thomas and Mary Edworthy.
http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=4122

Edworthy Family bio
http://www.cain-rcia.ca/cain-bin/cainMa ... t=1&bill=1

Calgary Parks - Edworthy Park website http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall ... y+Park.htm
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Re: Mrs. Edworthy House possible redevelopment

Postby Admin » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:02 pm

It appears that demolition has begun on this house.

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