Hart House (Alberta)

Hart House

The Hart House overlooking Calgary
Alternative names Hart Mansion
General information
Status Used as a hotel
Type Mansion
Architectural style Victorian[1]
Town or city Calgary, Alberta
Country Canada

The Hart House, sometimes known as the Hart mansion,[2] is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive professional wrestling family. While no longer under ownership of the Harts, the mansion continues to be referred to as the Hart House.[3]

During the ownership of the Hart family the mansions basement was used as a training hall and wrestling school known as the Hart Dungeon which produced a large number of very successful pro wrestlers.[4]

Besides the Hart family the mansion also housed many other wrestlers as well as an abundance of family pets and circus animals which were sometimes used in the Stampede Wrestling shows.[5][6][7]

The building has a large historical value for the wrestling industry and WWE recognized it as being as important and significant as Madison Square Garden.[8] In 2012 the building was declared a heritage site by the city of Calgary.[9][10][11]

History

Early history

The 5,600-square-foot (520 m2) home, sitting on 2.17 acres (0.88 ha) of land, was built in 1905 by businessman Edward Crandell.[12] It was converted into the Soldiers' Children's Home for Orphans in 1920 and then bought by Judge Henry Stuart Patterson from the Crandells.

Under Hart ownership

It was sold to Stu Hart in 1951 for $25,000. In its Hart-owned state, it featured twenty-two rooms, four fireplaces, five chandeliers from Edmonton's historic McDonald Hotel, two porches, a view of downtown Calgary, and a coach house behind the main house which was joined to the main house through a greenhouse.[13][14]

2003 sale

After the death of Stu Hart on October 16, 2003, the ten remaining Hart siblings put the Hart mansion up for sale. Alison Hart gave several tours of the home to guests before finally handing down ownership of the $2 million home.

After

In June 2006, preservation plans for the mansion were defused in a tied 7-7 vote, leaving it susceptible to demolition. In October, however, a revised plan was authorized for thirteen townhouses to be built around the mansion as well as its restoration.[15][16] Construction was stated to begin in summer 2007, but these plans were never implemented. Although the property went up for sale again in spring 2010,[17] it was not sold. In December 2012, it was designated as a municipal heritage site by the City of Calgary as part of a development deal which also allowed the owner to build nine houses with secondary suites on the Hart House's undeveloped grounds.[18][19]

After being renovated in 2013 the house was put out for renting, the renovated building includes a modern security system, a gourmet kitchen, a library, a home office, a gym, family rooms and six bedrooms.[20]

The Dungeon

The Hart Dungeon was the gym and training school used by Stu Hart and some of his sons to train wrestlers and other athletes which was located in the mansions basement.

Accolades

References

  1. ↑ Marshall, Andy (2016). Thin Power: How former Calgary Mayor Rod Sykes stamped his brand on the city . . . And scorched some sacred cows. FriesenPress. ASIN B01IQ54CUE.
  2. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 17 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Mike (January 10, 2013). "HART FAMILY LAUNCHES NEW PROMOTION, LIVE IN THE OLD HART HOUSE AND MORE NEWS". pwinsider.com. Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  4. ↑ Logan, Shawn (April 26, 2008). "Taking falls in the New Hart Dungeon". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  5. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 8 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  6. ↑ Mooneyham, Mike (April 29, 2012). "WWE diva Natalya: Pretty in pink but red hot in the ring". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  7. ↑ "Positive heroes key for kids", from Slam Wrestling
  8. ↑ "Stu Hart's Hall of Fame profile". WWE.com. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Calgary's Hart House to be declared a heritage site". CBC News. December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  10. ↑ Elliott, Tamara (April 10, 2013). "City designates Hart House a historical property". Global News. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  11. ↑ Gandia, Renato (December 3, 2012). "Calgary's famous Hart House to be declared a heritage site". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  12. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 107 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  13. ↑ Berger, Richard (2010). A Fool for Old School ... Wrestling, That is. Richard Berger & Barking Spider Productions. p. 59 pp. ISBN 0981249809.
  14. ↑ Marsha Erb (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the ring. ECW Press. p. 106 pp. ISBN 1-55022-508-1.
  15. ↑ Johnson, Mike (October 17, 2006). "CONSTRUCTION APPROVED FOR HART FAMILY PROPERTY, NEW BOOK CHRONICLES RISE OF THE NWA, TERRY GORDY TRIBUTE SONG & MORE". Slam! Wrestling. PWInsider.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  16. ↑ Logan, Shawn (October 17, 2006). "Calgary OKs Hart mansion condo project". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  17. ↑ "Hart mansion goes back on the block". CBC News. May 14, 2010. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  18. ↑ Markusoff, Jason (December 4, 2012). "City council allows development around Hart house". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  19. ↑ "Calgary's Hart House to be declared a heritage site". CBC News. December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  20. ↑ "Hart House For Rent In Calgary At $10,000 A Month". huffingtonpost.ca. The Huffington Post. October 10, 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  21. ↑ "Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. April 3, 2016.

Coordinates: 51°03′43″N 114°10′08″W / 51.062008°N 114.168982°W / 51.062008; -114.168982

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