Description of Historic Place

The Dafoe Terrace is a two-and-a-half storey rectangular red brick building with sandstone detailing from the pre-First World War period, located on two city lots just north of Stampede Park in downtown Calgary.

Heritage Value

Dafoe Terrace is significant as an example of the style of apartment blocks that appeared in Calgary's period of growth before the First World War. It illustrates the evolution of the urban landscape in the early part of the twentieth century.

The Dafoe Terrace is located in Victoria Park, a subdivision created in 1888 (making it one of Calgary's oldest neighbourhoods) by the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) as an addition to its original townsite. It was constructed in 1910 by John C. Dafoe, a Calgary area rancher and real estate broker, and like other rental properties of the period represented an early attempt to profit from rising real estate values. More than fifty apartment blocks erected to meet the demand for new housing during the period of Calgary's explosive growth (1906-14). Originally the Dafoe Terrace was occupied by a variety of tenants - semiskilled, skilled and professional workers - but with the relocation of the railyards to Ogden, the advent of street car, and most importantly, the growth of middle-class subdivisions after the war, most higher income renters moved elsewhere. This consolidated the working class character of one of Calgary's inner city neighbourhoods.

With the Fairey Terrace, the Dafoe Terrace are now uncommon examples in Alberta of the terrace style or row-housing multiple dwelling. Their design reflects the early-twentieth century interest in historic revival styles, borrowing Georgian and Jacobethan motifs in an eclectic fashion.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 1494)

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Dafoe Terrace lies in such character-defining elements as:
- location north of Stampede Park in downtown Calgary;
- rectangular form with an emphasis on the centre pavilion;
- red brick facade with grey brick corbelled arched doorways, sandstone trim in window sills, keystones, second-storey string course, corner quoins;
- hipped roof with wooden dormers;
- broad roof eaves;
- historic fenestration patterns: double-hung windows with wood sashes and arched semi-circular windows over wooden doors
- concrete steps to each entry, each with decorative metal railing, balustrade and spindle details.