This Site Is Significant Because...
The Building Helped To Establish The Blocks Of Stephen Avenue 8Th Avenue) Immediately East And West Of Centre Street As Calgary's Prime Retail District. [Symbolic Value: City-Wide Significance]
This Was The Hudson's Bay Company's Largest And Most Modern Store To Date In Calgary, Introducing The Department Store, A New Type Of Retailing In The City. It Was The City's Primary Hub Of Retail Activity In The Late 19Th And The Early 20Th Century, Not Challenged Until 1911. Its Partial Role As A Woolworth's Store 1914-1931 Perpetuated This Retail Activity. [Activity Value:
City-Wide Significance]
Housing The Royal Bank Of Canada's Main Calgary Branch From 1913 To 1955, This Building Reinforced This Part Of Stephen Avenue As Calgary's Banking And Commercial Centre. [Activity Value: City-Wide Significance]
This Building Is One Of The Best Examples Of The Romanesque Revival Architectural Style In Calgary, And One Of The Few Remaining Commercial Buildings Of The Style In The City. The Building Is An Important Contributor To The Stephen Avenue National Historic District. [Style Value: City-Wide Significance]
The Construction And Finish Of The Building Using Local Sandstone Is Representative Of The Wide-Use Of Sandstone At The Time For Significant Buildings In The City. Extensive Use Of Sandstone In The Late 1800S To The First World War Earned Calgary The Status Of 'sandstone City', Giving The City A Distinctive Appearance To Which This Building Contributed. [Construction Value: Community Significance]
The Building's Prominent Location On The Corner Of Stephen Avenue And Centre Street And Its Imposing Facade Have, Since Its Inception, Signified It As A Landmark Amongst Its Early Neighbours. [Landmark Value: Community Significance]
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