Dr. Rutherford had a dream of a grand place of learning for the capital of the new province and in 1907 he nudged the government into buying a parcel of land - River Lot 5 in Strathcona - for the University of Alberta. To keep an eye on his ambition, he purchased a 1.3 acre piece of land right next door, sold his original home at 8715 104th Street and went to work on building a new residence.

He commissioned local architects Arthur G. Wilson and David E. Herrald to come up with a grand mansion and with room enough for his wife Mattie and their two children, Cecil and Hazel, and also for lots of entertaining. The result was a sprawling Jacobean Revival masterpiece with flourishes of Georgian and Palladian architectural styles. The sprawling three-storey Rutherford House, with 2,500 square feet on the main floor and 2,000 the upper, was completed in 1911 for the then-princely sum of $25,000.

Wilson & Herrald's British lineage was evident in the many flourishes, including Doric- columned porches, two-storey bay windows and prominent Dutch gables. The porch rose from a terrace supported by a low stone wall and was originally approached by a circular carriage sweep. Their mastery of the intricate and the grand were to be shown again and again in the infant Edmonton, with such buildings as First Presbyterian Church, the Strathcona Public Library and the Princess Theatre.

But for all its turn-of-the-century charm, Rutherford House was a very modern home for its time: It boasted conveniences like electric lighting, central heating, flush toilets and its exceptionally well-equipped kitchen had hot running water. The Rutherfords called the house "Achnacarry" and they moved in during 1911, one year after Dr. Rutherford stepped down as Premier.

The mansion included a formal drawing room, dining room, library, a large kitchen, four bedrooms, several fireplaces, a verandah at the back and a maid's suite with separate entrance. Golden oak and mission oak panels were used on walls of the dining room, den and halls. Given Dr. Rutherford's love for literature, the library was a real showpiece, with row upon row of Commons debates, encyclopaedias and English history books. It was equipped with an electric heater inside the fireplace, to keep the books dry and reduce dust.

Dr. Rutherford would invite students to come to his house and use his library. And as he was known to leave dollar bills as bookmarks, his house was often full with young people suddenly enthusiastic about studying.

The property also featured a brick garage, erected behind the house. Dr. Rutherford was an early convert to the automobile and his house was constructed with a garage and not the stables and carriage house that would have been appropriate a few years earlier. For many years, the family's red Packard was parked in the garage and the Rutherfords lived here until 1940.

Today the mansion ranks as an outstanding example of the more opulent domestic architecture constructed in the Canadian west during the emergence from pioneer days. But it was nearly lost forever.

Considering that Dr. Rutherford was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the University of Alberta, it's ironic that the university was a major threat to the survival of Rutherford House in 1966. "Landmark's Days Numbered. Home of 1st Premier Doomed," the newspaper headlines read.

The house was in the way of a new Humanities complex and the university's board of directors wanted it demolished. The public was outraged and the University Women's Club even raised $17,000 to assist with restoration.

The flurry of interest saved the house and the University of Alberta agreed in 1970 to a 40-year- lease with Alberta Public Works, which completed a $120,000 face lift and opened the doors to the public. Rutherford House was declared a Provincial Historic Site in July 1979, meaning no alterations can be made without ministerial approval.

The house celebrates the life and times of Alberta's first Premier, who was a visionary. Born in Ontario, Rutherford trained as a lawyer and arrived in Edmonton in 1895. He became actively involved in local politics and was first Secretary-Treasurer of the Town of Strathcona. In 1902, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the North West Territories and served as Deputy Speaker until 1905, when he became the first Premier of a Liberal government in the newly created Province of Alberta.

Dr. Rutherford was one of the founding members of the Historical Society of Alberta in 1907 and served as the President from 1919 to 1941. He was Chancellor of the University from 1927 until 1940, the year he sold the house and furnishings to the Alberta chapter of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Less than a year after he sold the house, Dr. Rutherford passed away.

His mansion was converted for use as a fraternity house, which it remained until 1967. Among those who came through the doors during the frat house days was a budding Calgary lawyer by the name of Edgar Peter Lougheed.

Work to save Rutherford House, which had begun to show its age and the effects of neglect, began in 1970. Crews had to contend with pipes and radiators that had burst, a leaking roof, wrecked maple flooring, crumbling brick and a sagging rear porch. The result of thousands of hours of restoration work received rave reviews when it opened to the public in the summer of 1973.

Visitors were dazzled by an evocative and richly historic residence, filled with many original furnishings and fittings. Where the originals had gone missing, similar material was obtained from archives stocks, provincial buildings or from donors and auction sales.

Such items included a 50-year-old blooming cactus, donated by city resident A.E. Munden. Because Dr. Rutherford didn't like cutting down trees, the family made a blooming cactus as its Christmas centerpiece.

Out front, the Manitoba Maples planted by Dr. Rutherford survive, as does the stone wall, built of rock brought from Mill Creek. Now, as a Provincial Historic Site, it is open to the public, providing a precious glimpse of life the way it used to be and the legacy of a man who helped forge a province and a university. The Friends of Rutherford House seeks to generate additional revenues and community support through tours, educational programs, gift shop sales and private bookings.

Rutherford House, 11153 Saskatchewan Drive, is open during the winter 12 noon to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $8 per family or $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and youth and free for children age six and under.