Description du lieu patrimonial

The Alequiers cultural landscape is an early twentieth century 0.661 hectare homestead site situated east of the Highwood River in a rural setting in the foothills of Alberta, in the Municipal District of Foothills, approximately nine kilometres southwest of Longview. The site comprises: a 1901 log residence with a 1920 addition; a 1920s log horse barn and ice house; a well; hillside dugout/root cellar; hayfield; vegetable garden area; and landscape elements including flower beds, a stone fish pond and tree plantings.

Valeur patrimoniale

The historical significance of the Alequiers homestead lies in its representation of the era of homesteading that followed the break up of the large corporate ranches in southwestern Alberta; its direct association with artists Ted and Janet Schintz, who painted the foothills landscape and ranching life; and the construction techniques utilized in the construction of the log buildings.

After 1896 the federal government sought to encourage settlement in the prairies by breaking up the leases of large corporate ranches into quarter sections. In 1900 Nellie and Alexander Weir settled on the property which was then owned by the North-West Ranch Company. In 1901 they constructed a log residence on the property. Like many new settlers, they combined dry land farming with cattle raising, and obtained title to the property in 1905. The Weirs abandoned the site in 1906 and it remained vacant until it was occupied by the Royal family in 1914. The Royal's named the site "Alequiers", derived from the spelling of Alexander McQueen Weir. In the1920s the Royals constructed a horse barn and an addition to the house.

Alequiers is also significant as the residence and studio of artists Ted Schintz and, to a lesser degree, his wife Janet, who lived there from 1939 to 1970. Ted received the greater renown for his oils of ranching, the foothills, and portraits of members of the Stoney First Nation, the largest collection of which is held at Calgary's Glenbow Museum. The natural setting of Alequiers, on terraces adjacent to the Highwood River in the foothills of Alberta, provided inspiration for many of the Schintz's works of art. The site is largely unchanged from its period of significance associated with Ted and Janet Schintz. The residence still contains furnishings and objects directly associated with them that provide insight into the personal lives of the Schintz family.

The Alequiers homestead buildings and environment have retained a high degree of integrity. Few examples of this type of low profile log structures remain. The residence is of particular significance as it illustrates both saddle notch and full dovetail log construction techniques. The saddle notch log horse barn and ice house are excellent examples of their style and method of construction. Few ancillary structures of this type remain which possess the structural integrity of the "Alequiers" log buildings.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 2121)

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of the Alequiers homestead include:

The cultural landscape of the homestead:
- three terraces: log residence, ice house, and flower beds on upper terrace; horse barn, barn yard, and ranch gate on middle terrace; garden, hillside dugout/root cellar, well, and hayfield on lower terrace;
- house landscaping including flower beds, stone fish ponds, flagstone paths (two: south and west from house), two spruce trees originally planted in barrels with staves around trunks;
-viewscapes of mountains (south and west) and coulee valley (north and east);

-rectangular horizontal log barn of saddle notch construction with low gabled, restored cedar shingle roof, feeding troughs, agricultural equipment;

The log residence:
- 7.9 by 7.9 metre original house with dovetail notching; additions (1914-1920) to the north and west, including open porch, done with saddle notch construction;
- low hipped roof on the front section with a low shed roof over the rear section; cedar shingles overlaid with asphalt shingles;
- fenestration pattern (including original front door/south elevation converted to window);
- floor plan/interior layout;
- wood doors and window sashes, trim, fir flooring;
- pantry with equipment, including cooler attached to north elevation outside the house;
- kitchen appliances such as the woodstove, furnishings (e.g. built-in cupboard), and utensils and supplies;
- brick chimney;
- stone fireplace constructed circa 1939;
- personal effects including reading materials; sketches, paintings and other wall-hangings; painting supplies;
- pot-bellied stove attached to original chimney aperture;
- built-in furnishings (e.g. bookcases);

- freestanding ice house.