John McNeill Residence
The heavily ornamented John McNeill Residence stands out on 97 Street in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood.
The heavily ornamented John McNeill Residence stands out on 97 Street in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood.
Although this house has been home to many different Edmontonians over the years, it is named for its best-known resident, John "Jock" McNeill, and entrepreneur who started the Twin City Transfer Company (a moving and storage company) and Edmonton's first taxi company, and who built the first hangar at Edmonton's municipal airport. The McNeill family lived in the house from 1910-1914.
Built around 1908, this 2 1/2 storey home showcases many architectural elements that are quite rare in Edmonton. These include a field stone foundation, a two-toned brick exterior with angled brick work at the top, and decorative woodcarvings on the soffits. The building has an irregular footprint with gabled extensions that project out on both the front (west) and south façades. The house also features an front porch lined with columns supporting a second-storey balcony, a hipped roof, and arched windows with decorative arched voussoirs surrounded by rough bright hood moulding on the two lower cross gables of the extensions.
The main-and second-storey windows have heavy lintle features and projecting sills with rough brick hood moulding below each sill and around each lintel. Several of the windows feature decorative leaded glass panes. The lintel on the front elevation basement window also has a keystone feature.
The brick cladding consists of buff-coloured masonry trimmed with orange brick accents. Each building edge is highlighted by an orange band with quoins running the height of the wall, while a horizontal orange band with cogging runs below the eaves on all sides of the house. Just above this band is a decorative frieze of rosettes linked by a swag of circular disks. The south façade has the same decorative features as the front; however, the rear façade is less decorative, with only two windows. There is also a single-storey square extension off the back of the home with one window and a rear door facing the south.
Details
Type
Residential
Designation Status
Municipal Historic Resource
Address
11217-97 Street,Edmonton, AB
Neighbourhood
Time Period
Year Built
1908
Architects
Architectural Styles
Character Defining Elements
Balcony , Columns , Hipped roof , Intersecting gable roof , Irregular footprint , Lintel , Quoins , Voussoirs