Description du lieu patrimonial

217 Angus Crescent is a Municipal Heritage Property located on Lots 37 and 38 of Block H in the historic Crescents area of Regina. The property features a two-storey, stucco-clad house, known as the Sneath / Douglas Residence, which was constructed in about 1914.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of 217 Angus Crescent resides in its association with two distinguished residents of Regina, Edwin Sneath and Thomas Clement (T.C. or Tommy) Douglas. Edwin Sneath, of the law firm of Sampson and Sneath, occupied this house from 1922 until 1944. Edwin’s wife, Pearl (Hunter), was a prominent Regina businesswoman. The house was then bought by politician Tommy Douglas, who lived there with his family until early 1962. A Baptist Minister by training, Douglas was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Weyburn, Saskatchewan constituency in 1935. In the 1940s, he entered provincial politics and led the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) to victory in the 1944 Saskatchewan general election. Douglas served as Premier until 1961 when he assumed leadership of the federal New Democratic Party, a position he would hold until 1971. As the leader of the first socialist government in North America, Douglas was instrumental in pioneering new programs in the fields of healthcare and social sciences and is widely regarded as the father of Medicare in Canada.

The heritage value of the property also resides in its architectural style. The exterior design of this residence is a relatively early and restrained Regina example of Georgian Revival influences, as exhibited in the overall symmetry of its front façade, the decorative nature of the columned front entrance, and the multi-pane sash windows. It is believed that this dwelling was designed by Francis Henry Portnall of the prominent Regina architectural firm of Clemesha and Portnall, renowned for its many stately Regina homes. The dwelling at 217 Angus Crescent would have been among the earliest residential designs by this architectural firm and is one of the oldest surviving.

The heritage value of the property 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. The original portion of 217 Angus Crescent was constructed in about 1914, at the close of Regina’s pre-war development period.

Source:

City of Regina Bylaw No.9907.

Éléments caractéristiques

The heritage value of the Sneath (T.C. Douglas) residence lies in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements which reflect Georgian Revival influences, such as the overall symmetry of the front façade, the decorative nature of the columned front entrance, and the multi-pane sash windows;
-those elements which speak to its contribution to the architectural character of the Crescents neighbourhood, including its form and front façade;
-those elements that speak to the association of the property with Edwin Sneath and Tommy Douglas, including its location on its original site.