Take a stroll through Calgary's oldest park

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As a local history librarian at the Calgary Public Library, Jennifer Bobrowitz wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Herald called Cornerstones in the 1990s. He explored the stories behind Calgary's past and present historic buildings and places. This column about Central (Memorial) Park was first published on June 20, 1999.

Central (Memorial) Park

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Written by Jennifer Bobrovitz

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4th Street and 13th Avenue B.T

Time of development: 1908-1912

Designers: HGBurrows, William Reader

Original Owners: City of Calgary

Historical events:

The 4.78-acre site that became Central Park in the 1880s was preserved by the authority of William Pierce, administrator of federal lands for the Department of the Interior, as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway's survey of the town of Calgary.

In 1894, the city plowed the land.”barren scrub land” for use as a Central Park nursery and distribution center for the city's tree-planting programs. as part of”beautify” program ratepayers were advised that they can buy Christmas trees for five cents each.

In 1900, the city hired a man for $1.75 a day to water the area's trees and maintain the park's newly built windmill.

GJ Thorpe built a small stand (in the center of the park) in 1904 at a cost of $310.

Central Park grounds were originally laid out in 1908 by British immigrant gardener H.G. Although built by Burroughs, development of the site continued for several years as time and money permitted. From 1913 to 1942, the park flourished under the supervision of Park Superintendent William Reeder, former head gardener of Patrick Burns. The design of the park was a symmetrical pattern of lawns, beds and gravel paths.

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In a 1993 article, urban heritage planner Rob Graham described the park. »It is typical of civic parks and squares of the period in Britain and Canada and features braided embroidery borders, fringes and raised medallion carpets. (The Reader) has made a full account of the species of plants, which are distinguished annually by 20,000, which have been planted to satisfy the demands of popular taste.Graham also explained that it is rare in Alberta for readers to treat Christmas trees with topiary treatments (which still exist today). In fact, no other Edwardian examples are known in the province.

Construction of the Carnegie Library on the east side of the park began in 1909 and was completed in December 1911.

In the summer of 1909, the Scottish Pipers performed in Central Park.

In 1912, he destroyed a small orchestra. A large pavilion similar to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park was built on the west side of the park. That summer, an underground sprinkler system was installed, a pergola divided into vine-covered trellis summerhouses was built along the park's southern border, and 1,400 trees and shrubs were planted.

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In 1913, the area in front of the ribbon was cleared and covered with a scroll. A drinking water fountain was installed. Newly appointed park superintendent William Reeder installed two large Egyptian-style urns with palm trees at the eastern end of the park.

South African War Memorial.Plain horse rider,” located in the center of the park, created by the famous French sculptor Louis Philippe Hebert. When it opened in June 1914, it was consideredone of the best four horse sculptures in the world.»

On June 23, 1924, the First World War Memorial, a bronze statue of an infantryman, was unveiled on the east side of the park by Montreal sculptor Coeur-de-Lion McCarthy.

In 1928, the west side ribbon was demolished to make way for the Calgary War Veterans Cenotaph. When the cenotaph was dedicated on November 11, 1928, it was renamed the old Central Park Memorial.

In 1928, the Federal Survey selected Memorial Park as the site of the city's high point. A seven-foot concrete column sunk into the ground”Your reference point for all precision leveling readings in and around Calgary.” The benchmark is 3,439.66 feet above sea level.

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In 1939, a magnificent rose garden was created for the royal visit of Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

On August 17, 1953, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a monument to RB Bennett, the Conservative Prime Minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935, a Calgary lawyer and member of parliament. A pyramid-shaped monument on the southeast side of the park was built by Eric L. Dedicated by Harvey Esq. Q., Honorary Colonel of the Calgary Highlanders.

The Cenotaph was renovated in preparation for the 1994 Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Convention in Calgary.

Central (Memorial) Park is Calgary's oldest park and one of the last remaining official Edwardian parks in Western Canada.

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