Frederick S. Jones Residence

13067 115 Street NW, Edmonton

Description of Historic Place

The Frederick S. Jones Residence was built in 1926 as a one and one-half storey clinker brick home with a side facing gable roof and two single-storey hipped roof projections on the northwest and southwest corners. It is located on the corner of a residential street and occupies four city lots in the Edmonton neighbourhood of Calder. The municipal designation includes the exterior of the home. The interior and the landscaping features are considered non-contributing elements.

Heritage Value

The Frederick S. Jones Residence is significant for its clinker brick construction done by master builder Frederick S. Jones.

The Frederick S. Jones Residence is valued for its use of clinker brick. Although clinker bricks had previously been discarded as waste material unsuitable for construction because they were over-fired, burnt, and misshapen, builders in Edmonton began to use the brick for their aesthetic properties as early as 1913. The uneven colour and texture of the clinker brick cladding on this particular home produces an earthy texture and relatively unique appearance. This effect is reinforced through the combination of clinker brick seconds, larger misshapen pieces and field stone making for an irregular but carefully planned pattern of bricks.

The Frederick Jones Residence is also valued as reflecting the workmanship of Frederick S. Jones, a master bricklayer. The home was built in 1926 by Frederick S. Jones, a talented bricklayer who was involved in the construction of several high profile buildings in Edmonton, including the clinker brick masterpiece Holy Trinity Church. Similar to Holy Trinity, Jones used his skill and experience as a brick layer to incorporate large, misshapen piece of clinker brick to achieve a unique look for his house. These details show Jones’ mastery of his craft and are present in the best examples of his work. The skilled use of clinker brick makes the Frederick S. Jones Residence an excellent example of one of Edmonton’s few vernacular styles of construction.

Source: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department POSSE File 659495.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Frederick S. Jones Residence is expressed in such character-defining elements as:

clinker brick exterior;
side-gable roof with hipped roof projections on the northwest and southwest corners;
central window in the gable ends with stucco surround, supported by dentilation brick details from the main floor level;
exposed rafters and tongue and groove wooden boards under eaves;
clinker brick chimney;
front entrance stairs with clinker brick on the side and covered porch;
timber front door;
recessed back porch with clinker brick sides and columns;
concrete sills and soldier course lintels surrounding the windows;
tripartite windows with 6 over 1 double hung wooden sash windows;
double 6 over 1 double hung wooden sash windows;
6 over 1 double hung wooden sash windows; and
4 over 1 double hung wooden sash windows.

Context

Jones built this house in 1926 from plans obtained through New York based magazine The Touchstone, a popular means of obtaining building plans in Edmonton during the early 20th century.

Frederick S. Jones was also an accomplished gardener, and began cultivating 40 acres around this property shortly after his arrival in Edmonton in 1904. In 1905 Jones planted a white spruce on his property, which still stands just behind the home. This tree received a plaque in 2007 from the Heritage Tree Foundation in recognition of its historical value as part of the Alberta Heritage Tree Project. Jones’ skill with plants was recognized in the late 1930s when he won several awards from the Edmonton Horticultural Society for his yard. Frederick S. Jones lived in this residence until his death in 1954. The home has since remained in the Jones family, and is currently occupied by Jones’ granddaughter, a well-known horticulturalist and instructor in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Alberta.

Data Source: POSSE File 659495 ity of Edmonton Planning and Development Department 10250 - 101 Street Edmonton AB T5J 3P4

Designation & Awards

Edmonton Historical Board Plaque Award

Municipal Historic Resource (January 20, 2010)

Comments

Margaret E. Jones - 18 Jul 2019

This comment has been removed

D Schurek - 04 Sep 2020