Lougheed House
In 1882, the young Toronto lawyer James Lougheed decided to travel to western Canada with his brother, Sam, to seek his fortune. After stops in Winnipeg and Medicine Hat, James arrived in Fort Calgary in 1883. One year later, Lougheed married Isabelle (Belle) Clarke Hardistry, a well-educated young lady with familial connections to such western luminaries as Richard Charles Hardistry, the wealthiest man in the North-West Territories, and Donald Alexander Smith - also known as Lord Strathcona - a man of enormous wealth and influence in the Dominion. Lougheed quickly established himself as a powerful figure in his adopted society, becoming one of the first and most successful lawyers in Calgary. In 1891, the Lougheeds constructed their majestic residence in a sweep of open prairie southwest of the developing downtown core of Calgary. The new home - christened with the regal name "Beaulieu" or "Beautiful Place" - was a powerful symbol of the Lougheed's growing prestige and influence. Designed by Ottawa architect James C. Bowes, the home embodied High Victorian eclectic aesthetics. -Parks Canada
