Feature Article

A HOUSE FIT FOR A BARD

Written By: Lawrence Herzog
Published By: Real Estate Weekly
Article © Copyright Lawrence Herzog
2003-04-17

It sits sandwiched between Strathcona walk-up apartment buildings, a remnant from another time. Ninety-one years after it was built, the Bard Residence and Carriage House ranks as one of Edmontons most remarkable survivors.

And now, for just the second time in its history, it is poised to switch family ownership. Edwin and Bettina Konrad, who bought the 4,600-square foot home eight years ago, have decided to sell it. We just dont need all the room, Edwin explains. The Konrads and their adult son Timothy live in part of the house and, because it is zoned RA-7 for commercial use, they are able to rent out the front part.

Five years ago, in recognition of its historic and architectural significance, the house, at 10544 84th Avenue was designated a Municipal Historic Resource. The designation provided some public dollars to help pay for the rehabilitation of some of the significant elements of the two structures. The first part of the work included revival of the conservatory and, since then, the Konrads have rebuilt the front porch and installed an entirely new boiler and heating system.

That the residence and carriage house have survived at all to be rehabilitated is just part of the fascinating story of the family that built and protected the structures for more than 80 years. The Konrads bought the property in 1995 from Sue Bard, granddaughter of the original owner.

Edwin says it was the history and the chance to be a landlord in a small heritage property that proved irresistible. Provincial heritage researcher Susan Algre calls the house one of the finest and perhaps least altered of the fine residences constructed in Edmonton . . . during the boom period of 1908 to 1912. Architectural experts say the house is a four square design, heavily influenced by the neo-Georgian school.

The house was designed and constructed in 1912 by the Keith Brothers for Strathcona entrepreneur Delmar Bard. The total cost was $6,500 -- a substantial pile of money in the early 20th century.

The construction of the house was an enormous achievement for Bard, an American, orphaned at birth, who had emigrated to Canada from St. Paul, Minnesota on a wagon train just 16 years earlier - in 1896. He settled in St. Albert and, in 1905, became an Indian agent at the Alexander Indian Reserve near Riviere Qui Barre.

He married his first wife, Ella, and they moved to Strathcona in 1907 and he worked as a roads and bridge inspector for the provincial government. Later, he purchased a Whyte Avenue butcher shop and that business and other investments generated enough money to purchase the land and build his house.

The elaborate four square architectural style Bard chose was popular among the upwardly affluent between about 1910 and 1925. Elements of the style include a symmetrically composed front facade, central entry and a full open front veranda with classical columns.

But this house has its own design characteristics - like the built-in vacuum system that Mr. Bard apparently built himself. And several other features distinguish the residence from Strathconas other large brick homes.

They include a pyramidal roof with bracketed bellcast eaves, an east facing conservatory with spacious fan windows and the large carriage house with second floor living quarters, feed loft and stable. In its early days, Mr. Bard had a large turntable installed in the driveway, much like those found in railway roundhouses, which could rotate a buggy 180 degrees and eliminate the troublesome need to back out of the driveway.

In 1934 the house was divided into four suites and subsequently returned to single family use. Over the years, there have been only minor alterations to the interior and exterior and thats something that sets this property apart from many others of the period. A lifetime after it was built, the extensive original woodwork, wall, ceiling and floor finishes, built-in furniture, stained glass windows, original plumbing fixtures and gas fireplaces are still intact.

The Konrads needed to do major work on the porch because, like most older porches of the period, it was badly sagging. A two-foot grade beam, supported by ten piles, was installed and used brick was sourced from Angelo Building Supplies. New tongue-and-groove edge-grained fir decking was laid down and the verandah was again a place to pause and watch the world go by just as it has been for more than nine decades.

Its been a lot of work, but its been a real great process, Edwin says. We want somebody who will really appreciate this special house to have a chance to enjoy it, as we have.

The Carriage House, like the main residence, is a bounty of original features including grain chutes for horses in the stables, a cistern and hinged wooden doors for loading hay in the loft are still intact. The Bard Residence and Carriage House was awarded municipal historic designation not only because of its architectural significance, but also because of its contribution to the historic character of the area. Together with Old Scona High (1908) across the street, the Bard Residence and Carriage House provides a precious reminder of Edmonton as it was in the days before World War I.

Bard - the man - lived until 1938. His residence and carriage house have survived him by 60 years - and counting. And now, thanks to visionary owners and the citys heritage policy which offers compensation to them to help pay for the work, its future is secure.

Its an opportunity to own a piece of Strathcona history an opportunity that has only come along twice in more than 90 years.

If you'd like to offer your thoughts, please drop me an email at lawrenceherzog@hotmail.com. For information on reprints of previously published articles, check out my website at www.lawrenceherzog.com.