By rdnewsNOW Staff

H.M. Trimble

Former Lacombe mayor’s home designated as Municipal Historic Resource

Jun 15, 2022 | 6:00 PM

The former home of a prominent historical figure in Lacombe is now designated a Municipal Historic Resource.

City council passed a bylaw recently which officially designates the building known as the Trimble Residence (5228 53 Street) as a Municipal Historic Resource under the Province of Alberta Historical Resources Act.

“The Trimble Residence is of significant historical importance for our community,” said Mayor Grant Creasey. “This designation ensures the building will remain protected in our community for years to come. I want to thank the current owner of Trimble Residence building and the Heritage Resources Committee (HRC) for their diligent work towards preserving the legacy of this building.”

The Trimble Residence, built in 1901, is located on a large double lot northwest of downtown Lacombe. It is one of Lacombe’s early grand estates and has been deemed significant for its association with the home’s first owner, H.M. Trimble – an early pioneer, lawyer, and former Mayor of Lacombe in 1908.

Architecturally, the building is a two-storey, front-gabled Georgian Revival-style home with exaggerated closed soffits with cornice returns, an asymmetrical entryway with a gabled pediment, and a long shed roof addition on the north (right) side of the home. The building is detailed with multi-light hung windows and shutters, narrow lapped siding on the body and wide lapped siding with an arched louvre at the gable peak.

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H.M. Trimble residence (Supplied)

The city recounts H.M. Trimble moved from Calgary to Lacombe in 1900 and opened a law office. He had his house built in 1901, and co-created many of the town’s core services, including establishing the Lacombe Board of Trade, becoming president of the newly formed Central Alberta Hockey Association in 1903, opening the Lacombe Experimental Farm in 1904, developing the electric railway to Bentley, and becoming Mayor of Lacombe in 1908. In 1909, he subdivided and sold the property. In 1926, he moved back to Lacombe and repurchased the Trimble Residence, where he lived until 1939.

The Trimble Residence was further valued for its later occupancy by many professionals and business leaders in Lacombe, including lawyer and proprietor of Laird Motors, Harland (Hal) DeWitt Laird (1897-1959) from 1939-1945 and Doctor William Addison Henry (1894-1972) from 1947-1972.

The following buildings/structures in Lacombe have been previously designated as Municipal Historic Resources:

• St. Andrew’s United Church (2013)
• Lacombe Blacksmith Shop (2015)
• Young Residence (2016)
• Urquhart/ Kanngiesser Building (2016)
• Michener House (2016)
• Lacombe Cenotaph, Lest We Forget Park (2016)
• Fraser MacDonald Building (2017)
• Flatiron Building (2021)

The City’s HRC says they are working to update the existing Municipal Heritage Survey and the Heritage Inventory contained in the Management Plan. These documents contain buildings in the community that are 50 years or older or may have heritage significance.

They say the update will consider any buildings or sites that were previously not listed and could be added due to age or historical interest. The HRC confirm work is now underway with public engagement occurring later this year and a final report coming back to city council before year end.

For more information on the City’s Heritage Preservation Program, visit their website.