History Traveler: Calgary The Sandstone City

Between 1886 and 1915, a period of rapid growth, Calgary, Alberta, Canada boasted 16 sandstone quarries that were kept busy building 250 sandstone buildings. After a devastating fire on November 7, 1886, which resulted in 18 wooden buildings in downtown being destroyed, the city quickly pivoted to fire-resistant materials - mainly local sandstone. 

The Sandstone Era came to an end with the onset of the First World War, due to rising costs for stone carving, the failure of the quarries to supply desirable stone and competition from other building materials led to the abandonment of the quarries. However, by then Calgary was home to a delightful a collection of sandstone buildings renowned for their beauty – many still grace the city centre today.

Stephen Avenue

Stephen Avenue (named after Baron Stephen, the first President of Canadian Pacific Railway) is Calgary’s historic main street. It is home to one of the best collection of sandstone buildings in Canada and perhaps even North America.

In 2002, a three block section of Stephen Avenue (from Centre Street to 2nd Street SW) became a “National Historic Site of Canada.”

A historic plaque on a monument on Stephen Avenue reads:

“Stephen Avenue is a superb illustration of the central role that retail streets have played and continue to play in the Canadian urban experience. As a well-preserved commercial street, the avenue bears eloquent witness to the emergence of the modern retail sector in Canada from 1880 to 1930. With the coming of the railway, Prairie cities grew at an unprecedented rate, and their gridiron urban plans reflected a new functional pattern: financial and commercial sectors located near the train station, surrounded by residential areas while factories were farther away. Elegant illustrations of Calgary's sandstone era, the buildings of Stephen Avenue are handsome representatives of the architecture of their time, featuring Victorian, Art Deco and Beaux-Arts elements.” Add photo of monument

It is amazing to ponder about how not only Calgary, but our world has changed over the past 150 years. Most of the sandstone buildings have been repurposed as restaurants, making Stephen Avenue one of Canada’s best restaurant rows.

FYI: In July 1970, Stephen Avenue was converted into a pedestrian mall. It remains that ways today, making it easy for people to stop and stand in the middle of the street and enjoy the architecture of the buildings.  The juxtaposition of the historic (small) buildings with the new (tall) skyscrapers along Stephen Avenue is intriguing. 

Sandstone Schools

In addition to Stephen Avenue’s collection of sandstone buildings, Calgary was also home to 19 majestic sandstone schools built between 1894 and 1914. Most of these schools still operate as schools today. The exceptions being, the McDougall School (1907) in downtown which has been transformed into the McDougall Centre (455, 6th St. SW), i.e. home of the provincial government office and meeting space for Calgary caucus and media announcements. It is where to the Premier’s annual “pancake breakfast” during the Calgary Stampede.

FYI: Pancake breakfasts are a huge part of Calgary Stampede celebrations with literally 100s of breakfasts taking place across the city in churches, malls, office towers and commercial shops. In 2025, the 67th annual Chinook Mall Stampede breakfast set a world record by serving 26,994 pancakes in 4.5 hours.  The first official Calgary Stampede pancake breakfast took place on Stephen Avenue in 1934.

The King Edward School (1740 30th Ave SW) has been transformed into cSPACE Marda Loop, an arts incubator with studios, offices for art groups, theatre and meeting space. It is a fascinating place to explore - some of the old lockers and doors have been retained; the old drinking fountains have been turned into works of art. The anchor tenant is the Alberta Craft Council with its gallery and gift shop.

 Calgary’s Best Sandstone Buildings

Arguably, Calgary’s best sandstone building is the Memorial Park Library. Located in historic Memorial Park (Calgary’s first park), the library is the oldest public library in Alberta and still functions as a library on the main floor today. The second floor is now the office of Wordfest, Calgary’s annual literary festival. It is steep in history as one of the 125 Carnegie Libraries in Canada. Opened in 1912, it is an exquisite example of a classically inspired public building of the Edwardian era, within a planned landscape environment.

Originally called the Central Library, it was renamed in 1928 when the park around it was renamed Memorial Park when a major cenotaph was unveiled.  It remained the city’s central branch until 1963, when the new William R. Castell branch opened downtown.

Address: 1221 2nd Street SW

Calgary’s Old City Hall is hidden gem. Built in 1911, it is a four-storey Romanesque Revival style sandstone building with a central clock tower entrance. Currently it is home the offices and meeting rooms for the mayor and city council members. It is the architectural focal point of the City Hall block that consists of two later additions - the 1962 four-storey brick extension to rear of the original building and the massive wedge-shaped, mirrored-glass structure building which opened in 1985.  

Address: 800 Macleod Trail SE

The Lougheed Mansion dates to 1891 and was the home of Calgary’s original “power couple” Senator James Alexander Lougheed and his wife Belle Hardisty. Over the years, the Lougheeds built several additions to accommodate their growing family and developed a sunken garden. They named the house and garden “Beaulieu” (one of Belle’s ancestral family names), but Calgarians just called it the “big house.”  It is 14,000 square feet.

Designed in the High Victorian and Queen Anne Revival style it is an oasis in the middle of the Beltline high-rise neighbourhood, just south of the downtown core. The most prominent exterior feature is the cone shape tower at the front entrance. The interior of the 48-room house features Spanish mahogany and Italian marble elements. The stained glass windows and doors are hand painted with Alberta flora and fauna images. Today, the home and gardens are open to the public, rotating historical exhibitions and gift shop.

FYI: 13th Avenue SW was known as millionaires’ row early in the 20th century as several of Calgary’s elite had homes along the tree-lined street, including Patrick Burns and William Roper Hull (both demolished), two of Calgary’s most influential businessmen. If you walk further west along 13th Avenue SW to 8th Street, you will arrive at historic 1908 Calgary Collegiate Institute (12218th St. SW), a Scottish Baronial-style building that has been modified to become the Calgary Board of Education building.  Proceed to 10th Street and you will arrive at the back of the Free Classical style sandstone Connaught School, built in 1911. It is a fully functioning elementary school today.

Address: 707 13th Avenue SW

The Fairmont Palliser hotel opened as “The Palliser” on June 1, 1914, next to Calgary’s train stations (demolished in 1966 to build the iconic Calgary Tower). It was designed in the Edwardian Commercial style by architect Lawrence Gotch, who was inspired by the straight lines of the quintessential prairie building, i.e. the grain elevator. The E-shape of the building allows all rooms to receive outside lighting and from the outside creates the appearance of three towers.  The building was originally just four floors, but in 1929 three more floors and the penthouse were added, making it the tallest building in Calgary until 1958. Calgary’s first cocktail lounge opened in the penthouse in 1959. Wander the hallways today and you will find photos of some of the many famous people who have stayed at the hotel.

Address: 133 9th Ave SW

Just across the street from The Palliser, sits the Grain Exchange Building which opened in 1909. It features a rustic sandstone façade that makes it standout from most of Calgary’s sandstone buildings with their smooth façade. It is Calgary’s original skyscraper at six floors, which was made possible by it being the first building in the city to use reinforced concrete. Look for the relief lettering over the main entrance (with its ornate wooden doors) that still announces the original anchor tenant – the Grain Exchange. Today, it is an incubator for small businesses. It is fun to poke your head in and wander the hallways. 

Address: 815 1st Street SW

Sandstone Churches

Knox United (1911), Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (1904) and Grace Presbyterian (1912) churches are other classic sandstone buildings.

Knox United Church, built in 1912-13, it is the fourth home of the oldest Protestant congregation in Calgary. The congregation first met June 17, 1883, and was officially organized as Knox Presbyterian Church on November 21, 1883. The interior of Knox United Church contains seating for 1200 worshipers which combined with the architectural merit of the structure, earned Knox the title, 'Cathedral of the West.'

Notable features of the interior include its steel truss roof cased in wood to resemble heavy-timber construction, its oak paneling and detailing, and the Arts and Crafts style clay tile floor of the narthex. Knox also houses a 5018-pipe, 92-stop, Casavant-Freres organ, which was installed in 1913. The organ was the largest and most versatile organ west of Toronto. Today, the church is often used for concerts, due to the excellent acoustics.

Thirty-four stained glass windows installed 1921- 60, including the large WWI memorial window, dedicated in 1921, contribute to the magnificence of the structure. The window was manufactured at the Pittsburgh Glass Co. of Minneapolis, renowned for its ecclesiastical work. The window comprises 9,982 individual pieces of European, antique-type glass.

Address: 506 4th St SW

The Cathedral Church of the Redeemer has a rich history, evolving from a small wooden parish church to a prominent Anglican cathedral. It began as the first Anglican church in the area in 1884, initially serving as a parish church before becoming the Pro-Cathedral in 1889. The current sandstone structure, built between 1904 and 1905, is a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture with unique German influences. It became the permanent cathedral in 1949.

Address 604 1st St. SE

Grace Presbyterian (1913) church designed by Smith & Gemmell was beautifully crafted and is another example of the ecclesiological Gothic Revival style in Calgary. In addition to a sensitive mid-century addition, the 1962 side-gabled Reeve Memorial Chapel is equally well-crafted and intact. It is best known for its three-storey bell tower and grand east staircase.

Address: 1009 15th Ave SW

Last Word

The City of Calgary has an historic walking tour of Stephen Avenue online that you can download to enjoy your own self-guided tour.  Link: Stephen Avenue Walking Tour

In 2005, Calgary historian Harry M. Sanders wrote “Historic Walks of Calgary.” Though now out of print, you can sometimes find it in used bookstores or on Abebooks online. It is an excellent read and also makes for a great self-guided tour of Calgary’s history.

Bio:

Richard White (aka the Everyday Tourist) manages the Everydaytourist.ca website where he blogs extensively about Calgary past and present, as well as his adventures in other cities in North America and Europe.