Balfour Manor

This early Moderne building was originally a fire hall before an extensive renovation in the 1930s.

Balfour Manor was built in 1912 to house Fire Hall No. 4 and consequently was designed to accommodate horses and horse-drawn equipment. After the fire hall was closed in 1921, the building served as a garage. In 1939, the building was repurposed to multi-family housing by Edmonton contractor Joseph N. Côté. The conversion of large homes into multiple units was common during the Second World War when housing was in short supply. However, Balfour Manor was unusual in that it was previously a commercial building.

The new apartment building was designed in early Moderne style. Reflecting the austerity of the Great Depression, the building’s style was a pared down version of Art Deco. It exhibited smooth surfaces and a flat roof, but contained fewer decorative details than was typical of Art Deco buildings. The understated decorations included a rounded front parapet and decorative lines on the front façade, which emphasized the building's horizontal elements.