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The 120-year-old Nimmons Residence, reportedly the first house to be erected in the Bankview area, has caught the attention of City heritage staff, who are recommending the Queen Anne Revival-style house be designated a municipal historic resource. The Planning and Urban Development Committee has agreed to the notion, putting the final decision in the hands of council.
The two-storey home is perched atop an incline at 14th Street and 19th Avenue SW and is intrinsically tied to Calgary's ranching heyday. William and Isabella Nimmons purchased the property from the Hudson's Bay Company and erected the house in 1898 with red brick, an uncommon building material at the time. The brick was sourced from Nimmons' brickworks, and the sandstone for the lintels, sills and foundations came from his quarry.
In 2015, the owners pursued a land use re-designation to permit additional development on the property. A proposed massing scheme devised by Sturgess Architecture showed how a project could fit on the site if the home were to be moved a few metres to the south.
Administration has asked council to consider designating the property as a municipal historic resource, with the owner retaining the ability to "permanently move the Nimmons Residence a short distance within the existing land parcel, to increase development flexibility on-site without cutting off public view of the historic residence."
When council approved the Eau Claire Redevelopment in September, they also gave permission to relocate the area's historic smokestack, which required a temporary de-designation of its protective status. It marked the first time in Alberta history that a municipally protected site was de-designated. Because the designation agreement proposes consent to move the Nimmons Residence should future development occur, the property would not need to be de-designated.
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