Landmark Building
YOUNG BLOCK
2120 - 4 Street SW, Calgary
Built in 1912
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In 1912, things were going well for James W. Young. He had mastered his trade as a printer and established his own business, which was very successful during the boom years. Three years previously he had moved his family into a new house at this address in the rapidly growing Mission district. To make things convenient, he moved the J.W. Young Printing Co. to the Wright Block, the retail and apartment building across the street.
Mr. Young was in sync with the optimism of the times: he demolished his three-year-old house and built a new retail building in its place. It was the most elegant building on the 4th Street SW business district, with oriel windows on the front and side facades, and sandstone trim. The upstairs consisted of one large apartment for the Young family, with a balcony at the rear.
The retail spaces in the Young Block quickly filled up. The Producer's Outlet, a grocery store, rented the highly strategic store at the corner of 22nd Avenue. The store in the north side of the building was occupied by the U & I Pool Hall & Barber Shop.
In 1918 Mr. Young moved to Ashland, Oregon and sold the building. The printing business was taken over and run by the Dichmont family until the I940s. Today, Young is barely remembered, but his graceful building remains after more than 75 years of various uses. In 2000, it was occupied by a restaurant on the main floor, and offices upstairs.
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 Historical Walking Tour: Mission and Cliff Bungalow. Alberta Community Development and the City of Calgary, 2001., with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.