Description of Historic Place

223 Leopold Crescent is a Municipal Heritage Property located on a large residential lot in the historic Crescents Area within the City of Regina. The property features a two-storey house which is faced with stucco and adorned with half-timbering. The property, known as the A.J. Hosie Residence, was constructed in 1929.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the property resides in its association with a distinguished resident of Regina, Andrew John Hosie. Andrew Hosie was a prominent Regina businessman and community volunteer. Hosie was born in London, Ontario in 1890 and moved to Regina in 1910 to be the Assistant Secretary to the Saskatchewan Insurance Company. Hosie enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1914 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant while serving overseas. Upon returning from the war in 1918, he co-founded the real estate and insurance firm of Drope and Hosie, which functioned until 1957. Subsequently, he formed his own real estate and insurance business, A. Hosie & Company. In addition to his business activities, Hosie served as president or chairman of many organizations, including the Saskatchewan Debt Adjustment Board, Regina Chamber of Commerce, Regina Real Estate Board, the United Services Institute, St. John Ambulance, and the Canadian Corps of Commissioners. The Hosie family occupied the residence on Leopold Crescent from 1929 until about 1982. Andrew Hosie passed away in November, 1972 at the age of 82 years. Andrew Hosie was recognized by the City of Regina’s street naming committee through the creation of Hosie Place in 1979.

The heritage value of the property also resides in its association with the prominent Regina architect, Francis (Frank) Henry Portnall and his interpretation of the Tudor Revival style. Portnall was born in 1886 on the Isle of Wight, England. He began his architectural training in London at the age of fourteen, emigrated to Canada in 1906, where he was soon hired by the Toronto architectural firm of Darling and Pearson. In 1907 he was sent to Regina to supervise the construction of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, now the Knox-Metropolitan United Church, and in 1909 established a Regina-based architectural firm in partnership with Frederick Chapman Clemesha. Clemesha and Portnall quickly became known for their residential designs, especially their interpretation of the Tudor Revival style, which had become popular throughout North America in the 1920s. After Clemesha moved to California in 1922, Portnall carried on alone and is perhaps best remembered for his churches, schools, and the many beautiful homes in the Old Lakeview area of Regina. He also was well-known in the arts as both an accomplished portrait painter and vocalist. Frank Portnall passed away in Regina on September 13, 1976.

The heritage value also resides in its location within the Crescents Area of Regina and its contribution to establishing the historic architectural character of that neighbourhood. In 1905, Regina developer George Marsh purchased a block of land from the Canada North West Land Company and by 1908, the area began to be subdivided. This area, with its distinctive three concentric semi-circular streets and elm shade trees, was one of Regina’s earliest upper-middle class districts. Many of the original architect-designed residences still grace this attractive area.

Source:

City of Regina Bylaw No.9296.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of 223 Leopold Crescent lies in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property’s association with former Regina businessman and community volunteer, Andrew J. Hosie, including its location on its original site;
-those elements associated with Francis Portnall’s interpretation of the Tudor Revival style of architecture, such as the mock half-timbering with inset stucco, steep gable roof, and asymmetrical massing;
-those elements which speak to its location within the Crescents area and to its contribution to the region’s historic architectural character, including the historical integrity of the house’s façade and the location of the property within the Leopold Crescent streetscape.