Photo courtesy of the Lacombe Heritage Resources Committee.
Lacombe’s Campbell Block has been added to designated Municipal Historic Resources.
The Campbell Block building is only the second building to be both municipally and provincially designated historic resources, along with the Flatiron Building.
Designation protects historic buildings, streets, landscapes, and even landmarks. Owners of designated buildings can also apply for grants to help maintain character-defining elements of the property.
Campbell Block is one of the oldest operating businesses in Lacombe. The building was built as a hardware store and has been in operation for more than a century.
The store originally opened in 1896, and in 1899, a new building was commissioned on 50th Ave.
“What you see today actually looks like a single building that's all-brick construction, but actually half of it, the older half, is a wooden frame structure on the inside that has brick facing, whereas the other half of the building is a brick structure,” Myles Chykerda Chairman of the Lacombe Heritage Resources Committee said.
He explained that many buildings in downtown Lacombe are wood framed with brick exteriors.
“That makes a big difference in terms of how the structure lasts and what you need to do to maintain it over time,” he said. “If those buildings get designated that opens up a lot of funding channels to help with repairs because it can cost a lot of money.”
The Campbell Block is part of the framework of downtown Lacombe.
“One historic building would be neat, but the fact that we have everything there together, there’s a sense downtown that you don't get in many other places, especially in Alberta because that history just isn't there,” Chykerda said. “The Campbell Block is a very majestic building, it's only two stories, but it has a very stable appearance, a secure look, and it's a very nice anchor in downtown.”