Description of Historic Place

2326 College Avenue, commonly known as the Kerr Residence, is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Transitional Area neighbourhood south of Regina’s downtown commercial core and it occupies a 1000 square metre lot. Constructed in 1911-12, the two-storey house, with distinctive tower and attached coach house, features stucco cladding, masonry construction and brown-coloured brick with stone detailing.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 2326 College Avenue, resides in its architecture. Designed by the architectural firm of Clemesha and Coltman with Francis Portnall serving as assistant architect, the spacious residence is notable as example of the English Arts and Craft architecture in Regina. While irregular roof slopes, leaded windows, and half-timbering contribute to this character, its most distinctive feature is a buttressed tower. The attached coach house, an important surviving part of a larger stable complex, still retains its hayloft doors and outrigger, and gives the structure its ‘L’ shape. Interior detailing in the house is appropriately carried out in a dark oak finish as found in the beamed ceilings, panelled walls, French doors, and carved chimneypieces of the first floor’s principal rooms. Especially impressive features of the interior include the Delft-type tiles of the dining room fireplace surround, and the Jacobean-inspired staircase with its ornately carved and tapered newel posts and twisted balusters.

The heritage value of the property also stems from its association with its original owner Lorence V. Kerr and subsequent owner Harry Bronfman. Mr. Kerr was a prominent resident of early twentieth-century Regina, being principal of the Kerr Land Company, a financial, insurance and real estate development business, with extensive holdings in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Mr. Kerr was also the developer of the city’s impressive, five-storey Kerr Block in the 1700 block of Scarth Street, and co-owner of the Kerr-Patton Coal Company. Mr. Kerr was also well-known for riding and raising championship saddle and harness horses, which he often showed at local fairs. From 1921-23, the house also served as the residence to Harry Bronfman of Yorkton, a member of the famous family of hoteliers and distillers, and brother to Samuel Bronfman. Mr. Bronfman lived in the property during his family business’s transition between hoteliers and the creation of Seagrams Company.

The heritage value of property also lies in its role as an important part of the historic streetscape of significant residences along this part of College Avenue. Along with the Black Residence and McLeod Residence immediately to the east, Darke Hall and Regina Colleges directly south and the Archdiocese of Qu’Appelle headquarters further east, the property contributes to the streets historic character of imposing buildings recalling when this neighbourhood just south of downtown was the area occupied by the prominent and elite residents of Regina.

Source:
City of Regina Bylaw No. 9109

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of 2326 College Avenue resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements which reflect the property’s English Arts and Craft architecture, such as its picturesque massing and ‘L’ shaped plan; its cedar shingle-clad, front gable roof with irregular slopes, incorporating return eaves, shed roof dormer windows, and a lower hipped roof (verandah); its stucco clad exterior with brown, Menomonie brick veneer base and sandstone coping; detailing such as shield and diamond motifs, and pegged half-timbering; a variety of window types including a two-storey, front bay window with leaded multi-pane casement sashes, a round window with stained glass ‘sailing ship scene’, a bowed window with leaded, diamond pane glazing, a bay window with stained glass transom lights, and 6/6 double-hung wooden sashes; a flat roof tower with lead waterspouts; external chimneys with pots; enclosed sunroom extension with attached, red quarry tiled terrace with closed brick and stone balustrade; a side gable roof, coach house extension with arched, front and rear central carriage doorways, and a second storey hayloft door with outrigger;
-those elements which reflect the property’s historic interior such as the dining and sitting room’s darkly finished, oak detailing as seen in the beamed ceilings, panelling, carved chimneypieces, and French doors; the blue and white, Delft style, porcelain surrounds of the dining room fireplace; the elaborate Jacobean style staircase with carved and tapered newel posts, and twisted balusters; oak flooring; the red quarry tiled front entrance;
-those elements which contribute to its context within the historic streetscape of College Avenue, such as its original placement and a paved front courtyard formed by the ‘L’ shaped plan.