Built at two different times, the western section of The Leading Store was a wood frame building erected in 1896. In 1920 the original section was faced with brick and the building extended to the east, ultimately covering two and a half building lots. While the first section of the building was built by M.J. McLeod, by 1920 it was owned by A. M. (Sandy) Campbell. As a result, the
Lacombe Municipal Heritage Survey refers to this as
The Campbell Block, while the plaque refers to it as
The Leading Store.
Apparently never vacant, the building has always been either a department store or a hardware store. Today it is home to the Lacombe
Home Hardware outlet. Many of the original features remain, such as light fixtures and the pressed tin ceiling in the old section.
THE CAMPBELL BLOCK
M.J. McLeod built ‘The Leading Store’, a wood frame building on this site in 1896. In 1920 The Globe announced a total renovation and expansion to the building. The wood exterior was completely covered over with brick and was extended east to cover the lot that was occupied by a tin shop and the store itself was divided into Departments, the trend of the time.
The Campbell Block initially served the community as a department store. Hailed by the local newspaper as a "modern" business block which would greatly enhance the aesthetics of Lacombe's main street, the building featured robust red-brick construction, large second-storey "Chicago" windows, and decorative elements like a bracketed cornice and bold sign band.
The Campbell Block's design echoed that of commercial buildings erected during the pre-First World War boom years in Lacombe and elsewhere, but was set apart by its scale, its modest detailing, and its distinctive upper windows. The solidity and elegant simplicity of the building also embodied the entrepreneurial optimism and civic prominence of its owner, A. M. (Sandy) Campbell, a leading merchant and political figure in early twentieth century Lacombe. Prominently situated on two and a half lots in downtown Lacombe, the Campbell Building is one of the finest extant examples of 1920s commercial architecture and contributes to the physical and visual continuity of one Alberta's best-preserved historic streetscapes. Many features also remain, including the original mezzanine, lighting fixtures and pressed tin ceiling on the east side.
From the Lacombe Municipal Heritage Survey