The surprising reason why so many downtown Calgary buildings are made of sandstone
If you’ve ever gone for a walk through downtown Calgary, you’ve probably noticed many of the city’s oldest buildings are made from the same material: sandstone.
Some of Calgary’s most historic buildings, like City Hall, Memorial Park Library, Lougheed House and Central United Church, all share that tan, textured material, but it wasn’t an aesthetic decision.
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A devastating fire almost 140 years ago forced the implementation of a law requiring all new buildings to be made of “fireproof” material.
According to the Lougheed House National & Provincial Historic Site, the 1886 fire destroyed 14 buildings and resulted in $103,200 in damages (around $2.4 million in today’s money).
Historical records show the fire broke out on November 7 and lasted a whole day, sweeping across 9th Avenue and Centre Street.
It’s not known how it started, but fears around arson grew, leading George Clift King (the second mayor of Calgary) to warn: “If you find any man setting fire to any building, I hand him over to you, and you may deal with him as you like.”
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The law ultimately hallmarked the beginning of the city’s “Sandstone Era.” Buildings could also be made out of brick, but because the area was so rich in Paskapoo Sandstone, it became the building material of choice.
“Following the passing of the Sandstone Law in 1886, quarries opened throughout the city, and by 1890 it was estimated that half of the tradesmen in Calgary worked within the stone cutting industry,” reads the Lougheed House post.
To this day, the Lougheed House, which was built in 1891, remains one of the only surviving examples of a grand sandstone prairie mansion.
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