Arthur Bishop Residence

On June 25, 2021 the Heritage Calgary board approved the following site to be updated to the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources.

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Arthur Bishop Residence – 1401 2 Street NW (Crescent Heights) Year Built: 1912

Evaluated as a City-Wide Historic Resource

The Arthur Bishop Residence, built in 1912, represents the founding and early development of Crescent Heights, one Calgary’s earliest residential suburbs, during Calgary’s first population boom (1907-1913). It was built for Arthur Bishop, a carpenter, who had also invested in property by purchasing several other adjacent lots in 1907 along with the ones for his own use. (Symbolic Value, community-wide significance)

This is a good example of a substantial house of the period built in a vernacular style, with fine interior woodwork. (Style Value, community-wide significance)

The house is notable for its use in 1995-2000 as the Black Orchid Manor — one of the few gay-friendly B&Bs in Calgary at that time. It was also the site of many social gatherings, offering a safe, welcoming place for gay men especially. (Activity Value, City-wide Significance)

The house was owned by Barry Gagliardi, and shared with Ron Scheetz and Don Bastian. The three men were influential in Calgary as out, activist gay men at a time when this was both uncommon and risky, personally and professionally. From 2002-13, Scheetz was co-owner of the Calgary Eagle in East Calgary, the city’s only Leather bar, and Bastian and Gagliardi were partners. The bar welcomed LGBTQ+ and straight patrons and did much fundraising for gay rights and HIV causes. (People Value, City-wide Significance)

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