Plan Pattern Books, Catalogue Homes, and early Prefabricated Residences
Calgary’s inner-city neighbourhoods have homes which, despite being architecturally significant, are listed without an architect on the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources. This is due to a popular trend in urban development: plan pattern books. Essentially, these homes were either designed with inspiration from these books or completely purchased out of catalogues like Sears or Eaton’s.
Figure 1. A page from the Canadian Aladdin Company's catalogue.
Sears was a major driver of this kind of house. Marketed as Sears Modern Homes, Sears sold over 70,000 of these homes between 1908 and 1940 when the concept was discontinued. The Sears catalogue was probably one of the best innovations in commerce before the advent of eCommerce. At its peak a Sears catalogue, delivered to doorsteps all over North America, featured more than 100,000 items on 1,400 pages and weighed four pounds[i]. Dozens of home plans were featured in these catalogues, and customers could simply pick the home they wanted, mail in the form along with a check, and have a disassembled home delivered to them via train in a matter of weeks. All pieces were pre-measured, pre-cut and could be assembled with relative ease.
In Canada, this concept was championed by the Eaton’s Department Store. The T. Eaton Co. of Winnipeg Plan Book of Ideal Homes was advertised as perfect for western Canadian homes as more Canadians and immigrants moved out into the Prairies. Cities like Calgary were perfect markets for Eaton’s. Calgary’s first major population boom occurred between 1906 and 1914, with the city’s population growing by nearly 400 per cent. With this population boom came real estate speculation, and whole neighbourhoods like Upper and Lower Mount Royal were founded largely on speculation – the eastern hillside of Upper Mount Royal was referred to as American Hill because of the American speculators that developed it. The neighbourhood was subdivided from Canadian Pacific land in the middle of Calgary’s Age of Optimism and speculators would buy the lots, buy a kit home, construct it, and try to turn a profit.
By the end of the decade, Calgary’s real estate boom had come to an end and an economic slowdown occurred. The speculation that saw the Calgary boom had reversed, with many speculative properties, including some catalogue houses, being foreclosed, sold to the bank, or subdivided.
Figure 2. Cover of the Aladdin Catalogue.
While Eaton’s may have been the biggest name in the game, Canadian Aladdin Co. Ltd. was the largest mail-order home company in Canada. Operating out of Canadian Pacific’s Toronto office, Aladdin was a branch of an American company based out of Bay City, Michigan. They had regional offices throughout Canada, along with mills[ii]. Aladdin would distribute the kits via cargo rail, and have buyers pick up their homes from the stations. Materials would come with blueprints and instruction manuals, and assurances that “anyone who could swing a hammer could build an Aladdin Home” and offered $1 per knot buyers could find in Aladdin lumber, an assurance of the quality of the product[iii].
Catalogue homes/plan pattern book homes were immensely popular after the first World War. Returning soldiers needed new homes to live in and many people had little desire to return to the pre-war trend of multi-generational households. Catalogue homes also allowed for the internationalization of architectural styles and allowed for a revival of others; Tudor Revival was seen often in catalogues.
Sears offered a model called the Alhambra that allowed Americans across the nation to easily build a house in the Californian Mission style.
In the States, Sears Roebuck had a sort of vertical integration scheme – not only would they sell you the home, but they would also sell you all the appliances you could need, and competitive mortgages. Those mortgages turned out to be too competitive, with the mortgage application form being half a page long, and just about everyone could be approved. For Sears homes, their decline started during the economic downturn that led to this wave of foreclosures[iv]. Catalogue homes started to become unappealing to buyers, too, as fewer people wanted to admit they had purchased a home from a catalogue. Many homeowners renovated their kit homes, some torn down and others abandoned or neglected[v]. Company records can be hard to come by, making it hard to know which houses were catalogue homes and which still stand. Many amateurs, enthusiasts, and academics work towards tracking down existing kit homes.
The Second World War saw the final decline of catalogue homes. While they still saw some popularity after then, Sears ended the sale of homes from their catalogue in 1940. While there was a need for more homes for returning soldiers, governments resorted to much cheaper and easier-to-build bungalows, which were nicknamed Victory Homes or Strawberry Box homes[vi]. These homes followed a simpler design and construction process and could go up much faster with less labour. These homes can be seen throughout cities like Calgary in mid-century neighbourhoods like Haysboro, South Calgary, and Acadia.
Figure 3. The cover of the Eaton's plan book catalogue.
Heritage Calgary maintains an extensive Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources. Many residences on it are confirmed as catalogue homes, or at the very least take inspiration from plan pattern books. Below is a list of potential or confirmed catalogues, kits, plan pattern books, or homes inspired by them on the Inventory.
List of potential catalogue homes:
The architect of this residence is listed as “Plan Pattern Book.” The Jamieson Residence is a two-storey Foursquare-style building constructed in 1909. Foursquare was a popular architectural style in catalogue homes and plan pattern books due to their simple forms and layouts.
Cunningham Residence (Demolished in 2019)
While demolished in 2019, the Cunningham Residence is still on the Inventory. The residence was a simplified Queen Anne Revival-style building constructed in 1910 in Sunalta. Research into the building in 2010 found that the Cunningham was built based on a plan pattern book. Pre-war Canada saw many houses built based on pattern books, and catalogue homes tended to be more post-war.
The Ogden Residence is an example of a more restrained Queen Anne Revival-style house in the community of Cliff Bungalow. Built in 1909 by Henry Ogden of the Confederation Life Insurance Company, he used it as a rental property; one of Calgary’s first. The Ogden is very likely a pattern book-designed home, as simplified versions of the Queen Anne style were showcased by these catalogues.
The Stepney Residence is a 1907 Edwardian Gable-Front home that is noted on the Inventory for its innovative use of prefabricated components that interlocked. It is the only known house in Calgary that has retained its original cladding and shows the panels which mark each preassembled section.
John Snow Residence and Studio
The John Snow Residence (and not the studio) is a 1912 Vernacular residence built in Lower Mount Royal. Its architect on the Inventory is listed as Plan Pattern Book. Many elements of the building are characteristic of styles at the time, and like many catalogue homes or plan pattern book homes, the John Snow Residence has had some renovations made to it, including the studio in 1959.
While dated (it was last evaluated in 1997,) the Inventory listing for the Robinson Residence states that it was of catalogue design. Like many homes of its kind, the 1910 Queen Anne Revival style building was constructed by a real estate speculator named Bruce Lundy Robinson.
Rae House (Demolished in 2005)
The Rae House was demolished in 2005. Built in 1912, it missed out on its centenary by seven years. As it no longer stands, it cannot be confirmed as a pattern book home, though the author of the evaluation dating from 1995 states that it was believed to have been a standard pattern book plan.
The 1913 Colgrove Residence is an eclectic style home with Tudor influences in Upper Mount Royal. Built by Robert Colgrove, this wood-framed building is a strong example of a pattern book home, though it may have had some customization from the pattern books’ original plans.
Figure 4. The Hyde Residence. Heritage Calgary.
The Hyde Residence, built in 1911, is another Queen Anne Revival-style home that has a plan pattern book listed as its architect. Unlike many others so far, The Hyde Residence is primarily clad in brick, though like others, it is a simplified or restrained interpretation of the architectural style. Its original verandah was replaced in the mid-'80s when the original had deteriorated.
The grand Manning Residence, built in 1912, is an American Colonial Revival style building with classical elements framing the main entrance (Ionic columns holding up an entablature). Like others, its architect is listed as a plan pattern book, not an individual.
This Cliff Bungalow home is a Queen Anne Revival style building built in 1909. It was built for Judge John Leslie Jennison and was later occupied by Archibald Dingman, the namesake for Alberta’s first significant oil well. The author and researcher of the Inventory listing for this residence confirm that it was built using a pattern book. It also represents a transition away from Queen Anne Revival towards a simpler Foursquare style, both styles were popular for catalogue homes.
The George A. Turner Residence is an interesting inclusion, as it may be a plan pattern book or catalogue home but it has not been confirmed. The 1912 residence is a Craftsman-style structure with some modest Tudor inspiration. This style, along with Tudor influences, was very popular within pattern book designs.
The Sanderson is a modest Arts and Crafts style building in Hillhurst heavily inspired, if not directly built from the “Strathcona” plan sold by Aladdin Homes, with some common modifications made to it most notably the enclosed front porch. It was quite common for buyers to add an enclosure to many catalogue homes in colder climates.
Figure 5. The Sanderson Residence. Heritage Calgary.
The James A. Ross Residence is a modest Edwardian Gable Front-style house. The Gable Front style was a simple style that could be easily replicated as a plan pattern-book house. The simplicity of the design made it easy for average people to build themselves or hire day labour to build quickly. This Inglewood residence was built for James A. Ross, a patternmaker for Alberta Iron Works.
It is possible that this building is not a catalogue home or of plan pattern book design, but if it was it would be one of the most prominent pre-planned or prefabricated homes in Calgary. The Deane House is a 1906 Foursquare-style residence built for Richard Burton Deane, superintendent of Fort Calgary from 1906-14. The Foursquare style was very popular in pattern books and catalogue home designs as it focuses on a simple layout.
The Harold Wright Residence has its architect listed as Plan Pattern Book. Built in 1913 in the Craftsman style, the residence is associated with Harry Wright, who joined his brothers Robert, Louis Wade, Albert and Frederick in building contiguous cottages just off of Edmonton Trail.
Just like the Harold Wright Residence, The Alexander Cran Residence is a Craftsman-style residence built around the same time as the Wrights built their residences. While not one of the Wright brothers that invested in the series of lots on this block, Cran was one of Louis Wade’s coworkers at Canadian Pacific’s Alyth Yard.
The Louis Wade Residence belonged to another Wright brother and was built at the same time. Like the others, the Louis Wade Residence is a Craftsman-style building that has its architect listed as Plan Pattern Book.
Another of the Wright brothers' residences was built as a speculative asset when the brothers bought most of the lots on the block.
The final of the five contiguous residences built in the same year in the same style by the Wright Brothers (and Alexander Cran,) these Pattern Book/Catalogue Homes represent Calgary’s rapid growth before WWI and the land speculation that accompanied the boom period.
The Parker Residence is a 1913 Edwardian Cottage-style home that was likely built from plans from a pattern book given its modest cottage architecture, minimal ornamentation, and the working-class history of Tuxedo Park.
The Templeton Residence is a 1915 Craftsman-style residence in Scarboro and is based on designs from pattern books. Scarboro is noted as a “picturesque suburb,” and was designed by John Charles Olmsted, son of Fredrick Law Olmsted who designed, among many things, New York City’s Central Park. The Templeton Residence shows the diversity in designs for pattern book and catalogue homes.
The Arthur M. Webb Residence is one of the few remaining single-family homes in downtown Calgary and was at least inspired by pattern books given its Arts & Crafts and English cottage style; architectural forms that were popularized by pattern books and catalogues.
Like the Templeton Residence in Scarboro, Dodds House represents the dynamism in pattern book homes and catalogue homes. Dodds House is in Upper Mount Royal and is a picturesque Arts and Crafts that exemplifies the architecture that inspired many children’s storybooks.
Figure 6. The Greig House. Heritage Calgary.
The Greig House is an American Foursquare-style residence in Upper Mount Royal, and is described as “of catalogue design,” though the Evaluation does not specify which catalogue and the Greig House was last evaluated in 1997.
Sources:
[i] The House that Came in the Mail. 99percentinvisible. October 5 2021. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-house-that-came-in-the-mail/
[ii] Henry, Les. Before E-Commerce, A History of Canadian Mail-order Catalogues: Mail-order Houses. Canadian Museum of History. https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2104e.html
[iii] Henry, Les. Before E-Commerce, A History of Canadian Mail-order Catalogues: Mail-order Houses. Canadian Museum of History. https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2104e.html#1222126
[iv] The House that Came in the Mail. 99percentinvisible. October 5 2021. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-house-that-came-in-the-mail/
[v] The House that Came in the Mail. 99percentinvisible. October 5 2021. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-house-that-came-in-the-mail/
[vi] Bochove, Danielle. How Wartime Victory Houses Shaped Modern Toronto. Bloomberg. 24 March 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-24/the-design-history-of-toronto-s-victory-houses