Landmark Building
BLACK HOUSE
530 -19 Avenue SW, Calgary
Built in 1910
','Black House', 'Source: Calgary Historical Walking Tour: Mission and Cliff Bungalow <br />(© Alberta Culture and Community Spirit)'); "Black House")
D.E. Black was a jeweller who moved to Calgary from Westport, Ontario in 1903. By 1904 he had a jewellery store at 133-8th Avenue SE, which he moved, in 1906, to 130 -8th Avenue, SE. In 1910 Black bought this house, and moved his jewellery store again. This time it was to the premises formerly belonging to Louis Henry Doll, proprietor of Doll\'s Diamond Palace, in the striking Doll Block on 8 Avenue SE in downtown Calgary. Black is remembered as the victim of Calgary\'s largest diamond theft to that date. In 1911, during the pre-Christmas rush, someone made off with $11,000.00 worth of gems –a significant amount at the time – from his store. Despite this setback, Black built up Canada\'s largest watch repair business, which eventually merged with Birks in 1920.
Later occupants of this house included the secretary-treasurer of a trust company, a barber, an auctioneer, a CPR telegrapher, a carpenter and a salesman. Like many other residences, the Black House was duplexed during the Second World War, and drastically altered in more recent years.
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.