Oliver Block officially designated as Municipal Historic Resource

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 28, 2022.

Galt Museum & Archives 19891046021095 Vehicles line the west side of 5 Street South in front of the Alexandra Hotel, Empress Theatre, Alberta Block, Oliver Block, and a fragement of Dallas Hotel (Rylands block) in the 1920s.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge city council on Tuesday gave second and third reading to a bylaw which designates the Oliver Block downtown as a Municipal Historic Resource.

Council approved the motion unanimously. Councillor Rajko Dodic was absent from the meeting.

The Oliver Block is deemed significant for its association with the early commercial development in the city as well as its design and association with William Oliver.

Oliver was a prominent citizen in the early days of Lethbridge who moved here in 1884 to work for the Alberta Railway and Coal Company. In 1887, he started a brickyard and by 1890, Oliver had gotten into the general building and construction business and opened the city’s first sash and door factory.

Oliver was elected mayor four times and also served as an alderman multiple times.

Built around 1900, the two-storey building replaced a wood-framed structure that had been used as a theatre and was built in two phases so its owner could continue operating his business during construction.

The Oliver Block was rented to businesses including a billiards hall in its basement in 1914, the Bank of Toronto on the ground floor from 1913-15, and the White Lunch and Stokes Drug Store, says a statement of significance.

The brick flat-roofed Oliver Block’s design is significant because fire bylaws passed in 1891 limited the types of construction materials used in the business district.

The statement of significance adds “the odd rhythm of the bays and upper floor windows reveals that the Oliver building is actually composed of two distinct original buildings, one with a later addition, all of which were combined as one, with a uniform brick facade. Readily available brick from local brickyards meant that decorative details such as the pilasters and corralled brick entablature were much easier to incorporate into the building’s design.”

In a City release, senior community planner Ross Kilgour said “The Oliver Block is significant for its association with early commercial development in Lethbridge and its design.

“It is one of the finest buildings remaining from the early 1900s in our city and today’s approval will ensure it will continue its storied history.”

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