Hart House (Alberta)

Coordinates: 51°03′43″N 114°10′08″W / 51.062008°N 114.168982°W / 51.062008; -114.168982

Hart House
The Hart House overlooking Calgary
Former names Varsity Heights
Crandell House
Alternative names Hart Mansion
Crandell-Hart House
General information
Status Protected, used as a hotel
Type Mansion[1]
Architectural style Victorian[2] and Edwardian[3]
Address 435 Patina Place SW[3]
Town or city Calgary, Alberta
Country Canada
Completed 1905

The Hart House, sometimes known as the Hart mansion,[4] is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive professional wrestling family. While not built for them nor anylonger under ownership of the Harts, the mansion continues to be referred to as the Hart House.[5]

During the ownership of the Hart family the mansion's basement was used as a training hall and wrestling school known as the Hart Dungeon which produced a large number of very successful pro wrestlers.[6] Besides the Hart family the mansion also housed many other wrestlers as well as an abundance of family pets and circus animals which were sometimes used in the Stampede Wrestling shows.[7][8][9]

The building has a large historical value for the wrestling industry and WWE recognized it as being as important and significant as Madison Square Garden.[10] In 2012 the building was declared a heritage site by the city of Calgary.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

History

Early history

The Hart mansion at its inauguration as a Red Cross children's home
The mansion in 1920

The 5,600-square-foot (520 m2) home, sitting on 2.17 acres (0.88 ha) of land, was built in 1905 by businessman Edward Crandell.[18][19] It was converted into the Soldiers' Children's Home for Orphans in 1920 and then bought by Judge Henry Stuart Patterson from the Crandells.

Under Hart ownership

It was sold to Stu Hart in 1951 for $25,000. In its Hart-owned state, it featured twenty-two rooms, four fireplaces, five chandeliers from Edmonton's historic McDonald Hotel, two porches, a view of downtown Calgary, and a coach house[20][21] behind the main house which was joined to the main house through a greenhouse.[22][23]

2003 sale

After the death of Stu Hart on October 16, 2003, the ten remaining Hart siblings put the Hart mansion up for sale. Alison Hart gave several tours of the home to guests before finally handing down ownership of the $2 million home.

After

In June 2006, preservation plans for the mansion were defused in a tied 7-7 vote, leaving it susceptible to demolition. In October, however, a revised plan was authorized for thirteen townhouses to be built around the mansion as well as its restoration.[24][25] In 2008 Ross Hart spoke of his wish for the building to get renovated but preserved in its original form.[26] Construction was stated to begin in summer 2007, but these plans were never implemented. Although the property went up for sale again in spring 2010,[27] it was not sold. In December 2012, it was designated as a municipal heritage site by the City of Calgary as part of a development deal which also allowed the owner to build nine houses with secondary suites on the Hart House's undeveloped grounds.[28][11]

After being renovated in 2013 the house was put out for renting, the renovated building includes a modern security system, a gourmet kitchen, a library, a home office, a gym, family rooms and six bedrooms.[29][30]

The Dungeon

The Hart Dungeon was the gym and training school used by Stu Hart and some of his sons to train wrestlers and other athletes which was located in the mansions basement.

Accolades

References

  1. ↑ http://www.avenuecalgary.com/December-2010/A-Hart-House-Christmas/ https://archive.is/yIg2X
  2. ↑ Marshall, Andy (2016). Thin Power: How former Calgary Mayor Rod Sykes stamped his brand on the city . . . And scorched some sacred cows. FriesenPress. ASIN B01IQ54CUE.
  3. 1 2 "The City of Calgary". Calgary.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring. ECW Press. p. 17 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Mike (January 10, 2013). "HART FAMILY LAUNCHES NEW PROMOTION, LIVE IN THE OLD HART HOUSE AND MORE NEWS". pwinsider.com. Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  6. ↑ Logan, Shawn (April 26, 2008). "Taking falls in the New Hart Dungeon". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  7. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring. ECW Press. p. 8 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  8. ↑ Mooneyham, Mike (April 29, 2012). "WWE diva Natalya: Pretty in pink but red hot in the ring". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  9. ↑ "CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Wrestling - Bret Hart : Positive heroes key for kids". slam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "Stu Hart's Hall of Fame profile". WWE.com. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Calgary's Hart House to be declared a heritage site". CBC News. December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  12. ↑ Elliott, Tamara (April 10, 2013). "City designates Hart House a historical property". Global News. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  13. ↑ Gandia, Renato (December 3, 2012). "Calgary's famous Hart House to be declared a heritage site". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  14. ↑ Morrow, Adrian (27 May 2010). "Piece of wrestling history on the market in Calgary". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  15. ↑ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". Pressreader.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  16. ↑ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". Pressreader.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Historic Hart House: The Home of Wrestling Royalty - SkyriseCalgary". calgary.skyrisecities.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  18. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring. ECW Press. p. 107 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  19. ↑ "Hart House down for the count - CBC News". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  20. ↑ "The Life and Legacy of Katie Ohe and Harry Kiyooka". Avenuecalgary.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  21. ↑ "The Life and Legacy of Katie Ohe and Harry Kiyooka". Archive.today. 30 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  22. ↑ Berger, Richard (2010). A Fool for Old School ... Wrestling, That is. Richard Berger & Barking Spider Productions. p. 59 pp. ISBN 0981249809.
  23. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring. ECW Press. p. 106 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  24. ↑ Johnson, Mike (October 17, 2006). "CONSTRUCTION APPROVED FOR HART FAMILY PROPERTY, NEW BOOK CHRONICLES RISE OF THE NWA, TERRY GORDY TRIBUTE SONG & MORE". PWInsider.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  25. ↑ Logan, Shawn (October 17, 2006). "Calgary OKs Hart mansion condo project". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  26. ↑ Leung, Terence (July 19, 2008). "City moves to protect more of it's history". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2017-12-19 – via PressReader.
  27. ↑ "Hart mansion goes back on the block". CBC News. May 14, 2010. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  28. ↑ Markusoff, Jason (December 4, 2012). "City council allows development around Hart house". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  29. ↑ "Hart House For Rent In Calgary At $10,000 A Month". huffingtonpost.ca. The Huffington Post. October 10, 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  30. ↑ "Hart Family Launches New Promotion, Mansion Up For Rent - 411MANIA". 411mania.com. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  31. ↑ "Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. April 3, 2016.
  • "The doors are locked at Hart House - Bret Hart". Web.archive.org. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  • "Photos: Interior of legendary Hart House". Calgaryherald.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  • "Stories on The Hart Family". Slam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
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