First, it is one of the very few stations on the prairies built of sandstone - the vast majority built at the time were built of wood. Second, it is one of the few stations not constructed according to a standardized plan - most were built from one of an array of plans, each one designed to provide the services and facilities required in a given type and size of community. And finally, it is one of only two stations in Alberta known to have been built twice, the other being in nearby High River.
The station was initially built in Calgary in 1893. It consisted of two buildings joined by a canopy. In 1911, with construction of a new, larger station in Calgary, the old one was dismantled, stone by stone and the the west half of it was rebuilt in High River while the east half was reassembled in Claresholm.
in 1969. Today it also houses the Claresholm Visitor Information Centre. As well as a wide variety of indoor exhibits, both permanent and temporary, the museum has, on its grounds, a CPR caboose and speeder, Claresholm's first schoolhouse, a 1920s log cabin and, out back, an old threshing machine. Though admission to the museum is free, donations are appreciated and gratefully accepted.
Canadian Pacific Railway Station Building
The Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) Station Building in Claresholm is a one and one-half storey rectangular, sandstone railway station of the pre-World War One period, located in downtown Claresholm immediately adjacent to Highway 2.
HERITAGE VALUE
The heritage value of the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) Station Building in Claresholm lies in its service as the main facilitator of transport to the town and district from 1911 to 1966, its architectural and craftsmanship quality, in particular the use of sandstone as a building material, and its importance as a regional landmark.
The station represents C.P.R. activity in southern Alberta since the 1890s. Claresholm became a station stop when the Calgary and Edmonton Railway extended south from Calgary in 1891. The station served the town and a relatively large district in the era of settlement, through the transport of both freight and passengers and by facilitating communication through the use of the telegraph. The volume of rail transport declined in the mid-1950s, and by 1966 the station was no longer required for use by the C.P.R. At that time it remained on its original site and was converted to serve as a community museum.
The building is very significant for its architectural and craftsmanship qualities and the use of sandstone as a station building material. It was constructed from the original 1893 sandstone 9th Avenue C.P.R. Depot in Calgary, which was dismantled and reassembled in Claresholm in 1911-12 (the west wing) and High River (the east wing) - producing the only two remaining sandstone railway stations in Alberta. The station building has retained a very high degree of its original integrity of design, style and method of construction.
It is a significant well-known regional landmark owing to its prominent location adjacent to Highway 2 in central Claresholm.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- form, scale and massing;
- rusticated sandstone masonry blocks and sandstone chimney;
- rectangular footprint of the typical C.P.R. station model of the period (i.e. baggage and express offices located between the freight and passenger rooms; but without the agent's residence);
- hipped roof of cedar shingle and wide unenclosed overhanging eaves that circle the entire structure, supported by decorative brackets. Offset dormers on both the east and west side of the building;
- main entrance situated north of centre on the west side;
- fenestration pattern;
- transoms above the trackside loading doors, which are tongue and groove construction;
- historic polychromatic exterior colour scheme.
Interior elements such as:
- wood paneling, moulding, and wainscoting;
- box beam ceiling, stippled windows in office areas and wood strip flooring;
- ceilings, walls and doors exhibiting original finishes, hardware, and light fixtures.
- unimpeded view of the building from Highway 2.
From the Alberta Register of Historic Places