Heritage in the Hat: Here comes da judge

By Sally Sehn on December 14, 2019.

But before the judge, there was the train engineer, the lumber baron, and the hotelier. What do these prominent citizens have in common? They are the early owners of the historic two-storey brick house located at 77 First St. SW.

This home was so grand that when it was built in 1904 on two lots, it was featured on the front page of the Medicine Hat News. The News editor at that time was given a personal tour by the architect, George G. Kerr.

The building is constructed of early soft-mud red brick manufactured by Brier’s brickyard. The masonry contractor was Peard & Worthy. The interior woodwork was made of B.C. cedar and crafted by architect Kerr who was also a master finishing carpenter. The home was piped for natural gas and wired for electricity. There were electric bells in every room.

This deluxe home was built for Mr. McLean, a CPR engineer. McLean did not stay very long in his new home, selling it by 1907 to William Rutherford, also a CPR engineer and the co-owner of a sawmill in the Cypress Hills.

Rutherford’s residency was also short. Three years later, he sold the house to William Penland, an American rancher and the original co-owner of the Corona Hotel, which was constructed in 1911. In 1912, Penland built a large red pressed brick garage at the rear of his property. The mason was George Worthy, from the firm that laid the brick for the house in 1904.

Enter the judge.

In 1915, Red Deer solicitor George Wellington Greene (1862-1936) was appointed the district court judge for Medicine Hat. Originally from Ontario, Greene came to Red Deer around 1892, the first solicitor in the town. A key player in the growth of that community, he lived in Red Deer for many years before accepting his new position in Medicine Hat. With his wife Lamira and his daughters Ina and Lilias, Judge Greene moved into the original McLean house, purchasing the residence from Penland. Finally, permanency came with the judge’s family who occupied the residence for the next three decades. Ina became Medicine Hat’s first children’s librarian. Lilias became a registered nurse and lived in the family home until she sold it in 1948. By that time, the house had already been converted into suites as had the brick garage, their current status today.

After 115 years, the exterior of this Queen Anne home is still intact. The recently rediscovered 1904 microfilmed news article has given new insight into the early construction of the house. We now have valuable details about the architecture and about the tradespeople who played an integral part in constructing a home that continues to bring pride to the First Street South Municipal Historic Area.

Sally Sehn is a Member of the City of Medicine Hat Heritage Resources Committee.

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