Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said when the City of Calgary was considering selling some of the heritage inventory a couple of years ago, one of the properties on that list was the 123-year-old Cross home.
At the time, he’d met with the Cross family at the Rouge restaurant, which today occupies this historic Inglewood home.
“They were very clear that this was a gift of one of the founding families of the city, to the citizens of Calgary, and they did not like the idea of that gift being sold into the private marketplace,” he said.
That’s why he was happy to put forward a motion to have the Cross family home included as one of four to receive municipal historic designation. Along with this property, the Nimmons residence (Bankview), the Lawless residence (Inglewood) and the Plaza Theatre in Hillhurst were included.
According to Heritage Calgary, the Cross residence was originally built in 1891 for civil engineer Matthew Neilson. In 1899, Alfred Ernest (A.E.) Cross took over the home in 1899. Cross had formed the Calgary Malt Brewing Company and was one of the “Big Four” sponsors of the first Calgary Stampede in 1912.
They said that it’s one of the few homes that remains from Inglewood’s early development phase.
“Remarkably, after 100 years it still retains its original form and many of its original features, including decorative scrollwork at the gables and a widow’s walk at the roof peak,” they wrote in a supporting submission.
Each bylaw includes a schedule of architectural and historic elements that must not be altered without permission from the City of Calgary.
Plaza Theatre designation
Also on the list of municipal heritage designations was the Plaza Theatre, a place Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said held a distinct historic place in Calgary.
He said it was one of the rare neighbourhood theatres in Calgary that provided a gathering place for residents. Today, the theatre, having undergone a significant restoration, continues to show a wide collection of movies.
“The fact that we had theatres in communities, it was it was a unique situation,” Wong said.
“So, for that reason, there’s a there’s a historical significance, a cultural and social significance of having that protected.”
Wong also credited the Kensington BIA and other stakeholders with helping contribute to the rejuvenated plaza area around the theatre.
Heritage Calgary also expressed its support for the protection of this property. Originally built as a garage in 1928, it was converted into an Art Deco style theatre with Spanish Colonial Revival influences.
It was the third neighbourhood theatre built in Calgary, but today is the last one remaining. Along with that, it’s the city’s only remaining single-screen cinema, according to Heritage Calgary.
“Today the Plaza Theatre remains a community connector through its offering of movies, food and drink,” Heritage Calgary said.
