Burg man Building gets historical designation
he city’s northside now has its second historic building.
On Monday, during their regular meeting, city council passed final reading on a bylaw to designate a property located at 418 13 St. N. as an Municipal Historic Resource.
The building, identified as “The Burgman Building,” is a two-storey brick commercial building located in the Senator Buchanan neighbourhood of north Lethbridge.
This is the first designation on 13 Street North and only the second in north Lethbridge to become part of the designation process.
“Thirteenth Street North has historically been the main street of the northside,” said Coun. Belinda Crowson. “This is a very important area that has businesses, churches and organizations. The Burgman building has been part of that for more that 105 years. This building has such a connection to the community. It’s nice to see it designated.”
The building was constructed in 1912-1913 and was known for years as Burgman’s Hall or Burgman’s Block. It was also known as Donaldson Block after a previous owner.
The building is significant for its connection to Richard Burgman, a bricklayer and builder who has left a legacy in the city with a number of significant buildings in north Lethbridge.
The building features “exceptional” brick patterning on its facade, noted as a demonstration of Burgman’s skills, interest and creativity.
The exposed corner of the building reveals the more costly and consistent quality face brick and mortar used on the facade versus the lower-quality of brick and mortar on the party wall.
The building is also significant for the commercial and social roles it has played in the development of both the northside and the city.
The building went up during the 1906-1913 boom in Lethbridge and is represent-ative of the growth in the community during that time, as new settlers where coming into the community and requiring new services.
The building was a significant part of the culture of the north side of the city, acting as a meeting hall and hosting spot for community events such as dances, piano recitals and political rallies.
Once designated, the building can apply for provincial matching grants up to $50,000 every year which can be used for upgrades and repairs to the property.
However, work done to the outside of the building must first be approved in order to preserve the historical significance.
Crowson said that generally isn’t an issue for people interested in preserving their historic buildings.
“If you are someone who has and loves a historic building, you want to make sure whatever changes are appropriate,” she said. “And this gives you access to some of the experts the province has with people here in the city.
“If you are going to make changes, it does protect those elements that are historically important, and you have to make sure you don’t make any changes without first speaking to the experts.”
Historic buildings are considered an important cultural resource in the community. Crowson said the buildings also tend to hold their value over the years.
“They really develop for us a sense of place,” she said. “When you walk down those communities, they are like old friends that welcome you home.”