The building began life in 1889 as a log house. In 1913 an ambitious and enterprising Belgian carpenter bought the log building and began covering its exterior with local river rocks from nearby Lee’s Creek. With the original log house now "cobblestoned" he continued adding rooms and river stones. Also added were rare hardwoods from around the world and colorful stained glass.
Following is a bit more of the story of the house, now a Bed & Breakfast, by its present owners, the Negrych family.
Mr. Hoet covered the log house with rocks from nearby Lee’s Creek and then began building other rooms, finishing each before he began another. In the summer, he hauled the stones from the creek bed with a cart and in the winter on a sleigh, always accompanied by a large Newfoundland dog.
For the panels in the Stained Glass Room, Mr. Hoet bought hardwood woods from all over the world. The intricate ceiling tiles were made from scraps of rare wood from the Alberta Temple. To build the wooden Tiffany lights and bookshelves, Mr. Hoet imported from Italy, in the 1920’s the colorful stained glass.
The Golden Oak Room was built from 1920 to 1929, and was the last room constructed by Mr. Hoet. The delicate honeycomb design in the ceiling has 61 pieces of oak in each tile!
There are three stone fireplaces in the house. Unfortunately, only one fireplace is left that contains the original mixture of beeswax used by Mr. Hoet in applying a finish to these fireplaces.
From the Cobblestone Manor
Cobblestone Manor
Description of Historic Place
The Cobblestone Manor is a sprawling one-and-one-half storey stone building located on a single lot on the south bank of Lee's Creek at the western limits of Cardston. The home features unusual, asymmetrical massing and a cobblestone exterior.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Cobblestone Manor lies in its unusual and distinctive architectural style.
In 1893, church authorities in Utah sent Joseph Young to Cardston to assist in the establishment of the Mormon community in southern Alberta. Young built a two-storey log home to serve as his residence. In 1913, this home was acquired by Henry Hoet, a reclusive Belgian finishing carpenter. During his years in Cardston, Hoet became acclaimed for his exquisite craftsmanship on such sites as the monumental Mormon Temple in the community and the elegant Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton. Between 1913 and 1929, Hoet significantly reshaped Young's home, encapsulating the initial residence into a much larger and more ornate construction. He embellished the exterior with cobblestone facing, added new rooms, and crafted complex, beautiful hardwood finishings for the home's walls, ceilings, and furniture. Some of the exotic woods he employed in the home were leftovers that Hoet took from the temple worksite. Other woods and glass came from Italy and other parts of Europe. Hoet's labours of love resulted in a remarkable building that encases a significant structure from early Mormon settlement in Alberta within a home evincing a unique design sense and consummate craftsmanship.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Cobblestone Manor include such features as:
- complex, rambling mass and form, reflecting the home's evolution and expansion under a series of owners;
- exterior and chimneys of "cobblestone" or rounded river rock;
- original window and door openings, and extant original windows on upper east facade;
- wide eaves supported by braces;
- original log cabin structure as it is reflected in the main floor plan and a surviving original window now enclosed within the building;
- the remarkable design, level of craftsmanship, and high quality materials evident in such interior elements as the honeycombed main floor ceilings fashioned from costly hardwoods, trims, cobblestone fireplaces, built-in cupboards and bookshelves, and Tiffany lamps of Italian glass.
From the Alberta Register of Historic Places