A Case of Mistaken Identity: The Major Stewart Residence
Written by Asia Walker, RPP MCIP
Heritage Resources & Research Coordinator
Heritage Calgary
Major Stewart Residence, 1855. From the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources, 2021.
A Case of Mistaken Identity: The Major Stewart Residence
Researching history is detective work – breadcrumbs of information are scattered throughout archives and it is up to the researcher to find and gather as much information as possible, then weave it all together to tell a plausible story based on fact. It is easy to make assumptions, especially when there are information gaps (evident when trying to find information about those whose history was not recorded– particularly women and the BIPOC community). It is tempting to maneuver or tweak or even interpret a fact in a way that allows it to support or fit your narrative. The researchers who investigate historic buildings are experts in this field, and are able to set aside their expectations, their assumptions, and even their prejudices, to share our history for what it is.
One of the traps a researcher risks falling into is that of taking previously conducted research as gospel. It is clear why – with a cache of established research at hand, your initial research position is stronger than if you have to start from scratch. It is like building a house – it makes your job significantly easier if the foundation is already conceptualized, poured, and set for you, rather than digging it all out and starting from the beginning.
However – previously conducted research is not without its flaws. Rarely can the caliber of other researchers be known – perhaps they, too, made assumptions and connections that are actually false or non-existent. Every year, a significant amount of new academic-level research is published and archival information is digitized, making it much easier for modern researchers to discover new facts that help fill in old blanks.
Recently, a textbook example of this has come to light for us at Heritage Calgary – at the centre of the discovery is one of Inglewood’s most recognizable historic homes and a provincially designated historic resource.
The Major Stewart Residence is a dove grey Queen Anne Revival house located at 26 New Street SE. Its many dormers, carved bargeboard, finials, and open verandah makes it a landmark home within this historic neighbourhood. Its story is lore in the Inglewood neighbourhood, and well-known across Calgary. The house is one of the oldest in the city, constructed in 1884-85 for Major John Stewart, a noted rancher, stagecoach operator, realtor, and coal mine developer. In 1884 Stewart and Colonel AG Irvine surveyed, subdivided, and marketed the Denny Estate – that is, the riverside area of present-day Inglewood. In 1885, at the start of the Northwest Resistance under Louis Riel, Major Stewart organized the Rocky Mountain Rangers, a militia-style group who wanted to “protect” southern Alberta residents from any uprisings that might occur within territory (they never saw any action). Major Stewart married Isabella Skead and together they had five children. He would die in the house in 1893.
Major John Stewart, southern Alberta, 1885. Photo from the Glenbow Archives.
After his death, the property passed through many hands until Jack Long, architect, and former alderman purchased it in 1969. In the 1960s, Long advocated for community preservation in Inglewood, mobilizing residents against urban renewal plans that would have destroyed the neighbourhood. Long restored the Stewart Residence and, in an early example of adaptive reuse, redesigned the home’s interior to accommodate his architectural firm. It was also Long who pursued formal heritage designation for the home, and the residence was designated as a Provincial Historic Resource in 1977.
Long's actions were not wholly supported, and not without controversy – he also subdivided the property and built adjacent residences to make his restoration and use of the house more economically feasible. However, restoration and adaptive re-use of the house was an important catalyst for Inglewood’s revival after a period of decline – Long demonstrated to Calgarians the possibilities of historic building preservation and that aging neighbourhoods like Inglewood could survive and thrive.
New Street house, Calgary, Alberta. Photo from the Glenbow Archives. 1967.
Heritage Calgary is undertaking a major re-evaluation project over the next two years to update over 120 evaluations of historic resources on the Inventory. This is in anticipation of new incentives The City of Calgary is creating for owners of historic properties to better encourage them to pursue formal historic designation. Major Stewart Residence happened to be one of the earlier properties chosen for re-evaluation and assigned to the intrepid research team of Harry Sanders and Joni Carroll.
When Sanders dove into the research, he immediately found an inconsistency with the known narrative of the Major Stewart Residence. According to assessment rolls (historic documents containing information about the value of properties located in the City of Calgary archives), while Stewart did indeed own the lot, no “improvements” (or changes) were made to this property until 1900 or 1901 when a man named Rowland Horne Spurway had a house built on the lot. This leads to a historical matter of difficulty, as Major Stewart died in 1893 – as such, it is therefore impossible that Major Stewart ever resided in this house.
Western Gothic home, built in 1884, Calgary, Alberta. Photo from the Glenbow Archives. 1969.
Immediately, the narrative of the historic home was transformed. Further research has unveiled the true original resident – a Mr. Roland Spurway and his wife, Mary Spurway (née Coppock). The Spurway's lived on the property between 1900 and 1905 before resettling in Nelson, B.C. Rowland Spurway was involved in farming, trapping, livestock, and real estate, and he could speak three Indigenous languages—Blackfoot, Cree, and Sioux. It was reported in the Calgary Herald in July 1901 that “Mr. and Mrs. Spurway are leaving town and are going to their new house in the Brewery valley”.
The discovery may seem minor, but if we look closer the ripple effect is significant – this house is on the provincial registry of historic resources, in part because of its connection to the prolific early Calgary pioneer whose actions over a century ago are still felt today in how the historic Inglewood neighbourhood is shaped and functions. The connection to Major Stewart – perhaps an assumption made by a researcher that became fact over the years – is cited again and again as part of what gives this home historical value – a connection that we now know no longer exists. The discoveries made by re-evaluating the Major Stewart – now to be known as the Spurway Residence speaks to the importance and value of historic research and the evaluation (and re-evaluation!) process, as it gives all Calgarians a better understanding of our past. This helps us understand how we’ve become who we are as a City today.
The Spurway Residence built in 1900-01, (formerly known as the Stewart Residence). Heritage Calgary. 2021.
This situation raises the question: would this home still be standing today if it hadn’t been so intrinsically tied to Major Stewart? Did its connection to the Major – now disproven – make it even more significant in the eyes of individuals over the years, and help keep it from demolition? Did Long fight to preserve this particular home even in part because of its legacy as Stewart’s Calgary residence? Those who can answer these questions directly are long gone, but the research remains, and with researchers and time perhaps these questions will one day be answered.
The Spurway Residence has been re-evaluated for the Inventory of Historic Resources. The updated evaluation will be available for viewing later this year.
Asia Walker is the Heritage Resources and Research Coordinator of Heritage Calgary. She holds a Master of Planning degree from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS) and a BA (Hons) in English, also from the University of Calgary. Asia’s interests lie at the intersection of heritage preservation and modern development, urban design, social infrastructure, and storytelling. She strives to lay a foundation for the exploration of all forms of heritage – our buildings, our landscapes, our ancestors, and our traditions. Previously, Asia has worked at B&A Planning Group, the Town of Banff, and as an independent planning and engagement consultant for the Lougheed House, a National Historic Site. She serves as the Co-Chair for the Mount Pleasant Planning Committee and volunteers with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Calgary. Elsewhere, Asia is a local actor, a sommelier-in-training, an avid traveller, and cycling aficionado. As a fourth generation Albertan she pledges allegiance to the mountains over the prairies, but holds space for both in her heart.