101 Garden Crescent S.W. (1918 home) for sale

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101 Garden Crescent S.W. (1918 home) for sale

Postby newsposter » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:39 pm

Garden of delight: Stately 1918 home retains luxuriousness

Lin Connery
For the Calgary Herald


Saturday, December 03, 2005


It seems almost impossible that so little has changed since 1918 when the Garden family built an elegant home along Elbow Drive, just at the entrance to the beautifully treed lane named Garden Crescent in their honour.

For the project, the Gardens imported richly detailed tiger oak and fabulous leaded windows from England, says listing realtor Kelly Leech at the Re/Max First office. What's astonishing is that it's all still there, essentially unchanged since the Gardens were in residence.

"It's far more exciting than most houses," agrees Leech. And it's extremely rare to find a vintage home of this quality that has remained mostly untouched for nearly 90 years.

The original charm and character is clearly felt on the main floor -- the public rooms where most of the builder's finest materials and displays of craftsmanship were focused. The wide and welcoming hall is as glamorous as ever and, throughout, the original beams and panelling have obviously been carefully protected.

The original sets of double french doors are still in use. From the reception hall, they gracefully open into a luxuriously spacious living room with fireplace. Another set of double french doors at the far end of the living room opens into an intimate lounge with another fireplace as the focal point.

Even the double french pocket doors between the centre hall and the formal dining room are still in perfect working condition, says Leech.

Many of the fixtures are the original pieces selected by the Gardens, and the home includes a practical convenience that's becoming popular again in new construction -- a handy butler's pantry between the dining room and the still-efficient galley kitchen.

A cheerful breakfast room located off the kitchen was likely added later, says Leech, but its spirit and styling seamlessly blends with the original construction. "It's a darling little room," says Leech.

There are also some quaint reminders of the home's significance and the original owners' wealth and social standing. There's still a servants' entrance from the back garden into the basement, and a back staircase for household staff still connects the main floor with the upstairs sleeping quarters.

On the spacious upper landing, a fine old linen press, with drawers below and shelves above, is still put to use by the current owners. Across the landing, original double doors open to reveal an unusually large walk-in clothes storage area.

There are four bedrooms on this level, including an oversized master bedroom with fireplace and ensuite bath, modernized to include a jetted tub. Both bedrooms at the front of the home feature the original window seats with storage, but the smaller rooms at the rear have the advantage of excellent access to an unexpected upper deck with pleasant views of rooftops and treetops.

The more compact rear bedrooms are also much closer to the laundry chute that empties into the basement laundry area, notes Leech.

Even the smaller bedrooms have closets that must have been unusually roomy and fabulous in their time -- they're almost walk-in sizes, an extremely rare find in vintage homes.

Outside, the home looks appropriately stately on its large lot -- a spectacular 83 x 120-foot site conveniently situated on the edge of downtown.

One segment of the lovely, wide front veranda has been converted to home-office space accessed through the dining room, but it could be opened up again and the veranda restored to its original style.

Open the double wrought-iron gate out front and it's still possible to drive up to the house and through the charming porte cochere to park in the garage at the rear of the home, or to loop around onto Garden Crescent and back to Elbow Drive.

Call Kelly Leech, 830-8360, to arrange a personal tour.

Fast Facts:

101 Garden Crescent S.W.

Size: Slightly more than 3,000 sq. ft.

Listed at: $1,225,000

Area: Elbow Park

Year built: 1918

Fireplaces: Three, two on the main level and one in master suite

Bedrooms: Four

Baths: Two full baths up, one powder room on main level

Notable amenities: Situated on the edge of the city core, this unusually well-preserved 1918 home is a rare find. The original character, personality and charm has remained intact.

Listing realtor: Kelly Leech, Re/Max First, 830-8360; see kellyleech.com for more information and lots more photos.

MLS #: C3187873

This story features a factbox "Fast Facts:".

© The Calgary Herald 2005
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