Description of Historic Place

The CNR Station House and Grounds is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Village of Avonlea. The property features a 1912, wood-frame, stucco-clad railway station house and associated grounds.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the CNR Station House and Grounds resides in its architecture. Built according to the Canadian Northern Railway’s Plan 100-29, this property displays all the architectural elements associated with Canadian Northern Standard Third Class Stations. These include a two-storey, hip roof station residence with prominent front and back dormers; and an attached, one-storey passenger and freight area with wide, shingled awnings supported by brackets that run the length of the station. The freight shed and porch that were added in 1916 and 1917 reflect the increased traffic flowing through the station during the second decade of the twentieth century. Canadian National Railway (CNR) took over the Canadian Northern Railway Company in 1917. In 1936, as part of a general renovation program of CNR Stations, the exterior was stuccoed and the living quarters, station office and waiting room were insulated.

Heritage value also rests in the heritage integrity of the CNR Station House and Grounds. Situated on its original location next to the railway, this heritage property has had few alterations to its basic architectural elements. The interior layout has changed very little since the 1930s, and exterior features such as the broad awnings and brackets remain intact. The current layout of the station house grounds, with a hedge-lined, grassed yard, and a public parking area also remain unchanged from its layout during its use as a station.

The heritage value of the CNR Station House and Grounds also lies in its status as one of the original structures in the community of Avonlea. This station house was built in 1912 shortly after the line that ran from Radville to Moose Jaw reached the community. As the entry and exit point for rail passengers and goods, the CNR Station House played an important role in the daily activities of the citizens of Avonlea and the surrounding agricultural area from its position at the head of Main Street.

Source:

Village of Avonlea Bylaw No. 145-81.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the CNR Station House and Grounds resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those architectural features that reflect the building’s status as a Canadian Northern Standard Third Class Station, including the hip roof with prominent front and back dormers and the wide, shingled, bracket-supported awnings that run the length of the station;
-those elements that reflect the building’s heritage integrity, including the interior room layout, and the placement of the station on its original site along the railway tracks at the end of the vista of Main Street.