Landmark Building
BAKER BLOCK AND BEFUS BLOCK
1214 & 1216 - 9th Avenue SE, Calgary
Built By: Thomas Baker, and George and Alexander Befus
Built in 1907
 and Befus Blocks, 1972 (ACD 72-R6-9)','Baker Block & Befus Block', 'Source: Calgary Atlantic Avenue Inglewood Historical Walking Tours <br />(© Alberta Culture and Community Spirit)'); "Baker Block & Befus Block")
The Baker Block was constructed in 1907 to house a grocery store owned by Thomas Baker. Over time, a variety of grocers and small merchants have occupied the two storefronts; a four room suite is on the upper level. The simple design of this modest wood frame block, with its flush entrance and display windows, is characteristic of early commercial buildings in Calgary. The original wood drop siding is now covered by stucco.
George and Alexander Befus, who worked for the CPR, built the Befus Block in 1910, but soon sold it. In 1925 the property reverted to the City in lieu of taxes, and then changed hands several times in 1927 before plumber Patrick Kennedy, a long-time tenant, purchased it. From 1927 to his death in 1973, Kennedy owned three properties. By 1930, the three properties had been reworked and were known collectively as the Kennedy Block.
The Befus Block is a typical two storey commercial structure. Its original storefront is intact and consists of a deeply recessed entrance, large display windows and full width transom glazing. Inside, the original pressed metal ceiling is preserved, as is the wood trim. Two layers of stucco have been removed from the exterior to reveal the original brick. The exterior restoration of the Befus Block, which received a City of Calgary Heritage Award in 1996, was undertaken by the Alberta Main Street Programme and the Inglewood Business Revitalization Zone, and prompted a return to the building’s original name.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Calgary: Atlantic Avenue Inglewood: Historical Walking Tours. Heritage Inventory Program, Alberta Community Development, and the Old Town Calgary Society, 1999, with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.