Calgary heritage landmark gets new lease on life

The Nimmons House located in Calgary’s Bankview neighbourhood is being officially acknowledged by Heritage Calgary.

The ranch house was built in 1896 on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by cattle on the open prairie. It’s now centred in a bustling part of the inner city surrounded fresh modern apartments. Preserving the structure was part of the development deal which oversaw the construction of those apartments on the same parcel of land.

And piecing it all together took time and expertise.

“The actual whole house was moved at once,” explains Jordana Giustini of Bankview 1827 Investment Group. It was a delicate operation which saw the home move four times as construction of 84 units and parkades happened around it. It marked the first project of its kind for the developer.

“It was an interesting process,” she says with a smile. “We’re proud of it.”

The interior features original details like baseboards, doorknobs, registers and a working stone fireplace on the third floor. The exterior showcases stained-glass windows and brick, which was very unique for its time.

“The fact that this house was also made of brick makes it significant,” explains Josh Traptow of Heritage Calgary.

Trending Now

He said that’s because sandstone was much more accessible after 1886. But the Nimmons family had its own connections to brick.

“Nimmons actually had a brick factory, so he was actually able to make the brick to then use for his house.”

The hope is that this project will inspire more developers to embrace the same concept: preserving the past while building the future.

“This is a great example of heritage being used as an asset to anchor with retail or commercial space, office space,” says Traptow. “I think more and more Calgarians are having more of an appreciation that heritage from an economic standpoint also makes sense: the greenest building is the one that already exists.”

“It’s an important milestone for Calgary,” Giustini says. “I think it’s important they did make us keep it because it just shows the history of Calgary, it shows the respect for the meaning behind the home.”

The Nimmons House already has its first tenant, Heritage Law Office.