The Boards program, which began in 1975, selects up to four sites each year as plaque recipients. A short history of the site is prepared, a representative photo selected and the information transposed onto a Permalloy plaque. The plaque is then permanently affixed to the building to acquaint the public with its historical significance.

Balfour Manor, 10139 116 Street

Its called Balfour Manor and theres nothing about its appearance that hints it has ever been anything but an apartment building. But research by historian Ken Tingley reveals that the building at 10139 116th Street was actually constructed as Edmontons Fire Hall No. 4.

The story begins in 1912, when the Edmonton Fire Department acquired land at what was then called 627- 16th Street, and erected a new hall to serve the developing West End, as Oliver was known. The hall was officially opened on February 13th 1912.

Even though the fire department was beginning to replace its horse-drawn equipment with motorized gear, Fire Hall No. 4 included accommodation for horses. A photo at the City of Edmonton Archives, taken around 1912, shows a horse drawn Seagrove hook-and-ladder rig.

The fire hall was a brick faced structure, sandwiched in between houses on either side. It was only to serve for nine years; in 1921, the last of the fire departments horses were sold and the age of motorization officially took over.

Over the next several years, the main floor of the fire hall served as a garage -- first an independent repair shop and later a bus repair. The upper floors were rented out as apartments. Jarvis E. Hutchinson was the first garage operator in 1922.

Whiteheads Garage opened in 1927, operated by Harry Whitehead, and remained in business at the location until 1931. In 1933, L. Frizzell, manager of Midland Rapid Transit, took over the property and by 1935 the building was listed as the Midland Bus Lines garage.

Then the fire hall began its third life. Edmonton contractor Joseph N. Cote remodelled and modernized the building and in the summer of 1939 it was reopened as the ten-unit Balfour Manor apartment.

Balfour Manor has survived the last 60 years remarkably intact and original windows, doors, hardwood floors, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, fireplace heaters and even a coal chute remain. The original furnace, reputedly the second oldest in the province and verified to 1911, is still in operation, although no longer using coal.

The main floor is reinforced, reflecting its original use for storage of heavy equipment and horses. The original brick pavements for the fire hall still remain under the front lawn. Earlier this year, Balfour Manor was designated a Municipal Historic Resource.

Hull Block, 10601 97 Street

The Hull Block was built by Calgary entrepreneur and stockman William Roper Hull who was born in England and came to Canada with his brother John in 1873. They became involved in a number of businesses, including the cattle industry and the construction of several buildings in Calgary.

William Hull built the Hull Block in 1914 at a cost of $35,000. Plans for this building were prepared by architect Edward Collis Hopkins and called for a bath brick and white cast cement exterior. The contractor was Dunlop Johnson Construction Company.

Hopkins design tends towards Edwardian Classicism or classic revival, a popular style for commercial blocks of the time. Elements of the style include a projecting pressed metal cornice, a decorated parapet with keystone and inscription (in this case, Hull Block.) storefront cornice with dentils and ornamental keystones above the windows.

Hopkins was Alberta's first Provincial Architect, appointed in 1905. He was later involved in the design of some of Edmontons most prominent landmarks including the Prince of Wales Armoury (1915; now home to the City of Edmonton Archives) and the Pantages Theatre (1913).

The Hull Block has remained much the same over the years, except for the main floor businesses and their signage. For more than 40 years, the main floor of the Hull Block was home to pharmacies - first Herb E. Thomson Drugs (1915 through 1940) and later Hardins Drug #2 (1945 to 1960). In the 1970s, as the neighbourhood deteriorated, the building fell on hard times and, until the resurgence of Chinatown in the last decade, retail spaces often sat vacant.

But those days are long past now. The Chinese tenants who occupied the main floor prior to the restoration are returning and expanding their operations. Even the top of the building is being upgraded with a roof garden to serve the outdoor needs of the residential and commercial tenants. The building has been designated by the City as a Municipal Historic Resource.

Next week: The Sarah McLellan Residence and West Jasper Place School District #4679.

Information for this article provided by the City of Edmonton Archives and the City of Edmonton Planning and Development. If you'd like to offer your thoughts, please drop me an email at lawrenceherzog@hotmail.com For information on reprints of previously published articles, check out my website at www.lawrenceherzog.com.