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In 1905 the land was purchased by Charles George Kilmer Nourse, and in 1906, Nourse together with his wife Josephine, were responsible for constructing the house that exists on the property today. Nourse was a famous Dawson City banker who worked for Canadian Bank of Commerce during the peak of the Yukon Gold Rush. A glimpse into the character of Nourse is seen in this 1901 photograph of Nourse [wearing white shirt and white pants and with a gun in his right hand] together with other "Canadian Bank of Commerce Men" standing beside the grave of "one of the most notorious con men in the history of the [American] West", Jefferson R. "Soapy" Smith. "Soapy" Smith was killed in a shoot out in Skagway Alaska in 1898. 1919 visit of the Prince of Wales At the decline of the Gold Rush, Nourse came to Lethbridge as the first manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. While in Lethbridge, Nourse was extensively involved in the community and, among other things, served as President of the Board of Trade (currently the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce) from 1909 to 1910. His stature in the Southern Alberta Community lead him to rub shoulders with many notable people as is shown in the 1919 Calgary Golf and Country Club photograph of Nourse [who is standing in the front row wearing white pants] together with Admiral Halsy; Lieutenant-Governor Brett; the Prince of Wales (King Edward VIII); and Mr. Justice Walsh. While Nourse was apparently a person of strong character, so too it appears was his wife Josephine. It has been told that while Nourse was in the Yukon, Josephine continued to reside in Eastern Canada, and when his move to Lethbridge was announced, Josephine refused to join him unless she could design her own house. Most importantly, Josephine wanted to ensure that her house included separate living quarters and a separate pantry for the maid. Josephine is said to have prevailed and the house was apparently built to her specifications. Over the years the house has been occupied by many prominent people, including managers of other financial institutions, Lethbridge's highest ranking military officer of the Second World War and various high profile Lethbridge business men and women. 20 In addition to being a residence, for a number of years the third floor was the site of the Attic Theatre. It is told that there were many high quality and entertaining performances at this dinner theatre. The house was also once the temporary home of the Chinook Club, the YWCA and now serves as a Law Office.
The house has gone through many adversities over the years which is evident in some of the charred supporting beams in the basement, and as most recently seen in 2001 when the roof of the house was destroyed by fire. Even in light of these adversities, the house remains as one of the prominent homes in Lethbridge, just as it was described in the 1912 publication, the "Scenic Beauties of Lethbridge". We at Dimnik & Company are dedicated to preserving The London Road Law Office as an important part of the history of Lethbridge and are proud to share it with the residents of Lethbridge. We are part of The London Road Neighbourhood Association.
We would like to thank the Glenbow Museum Archives for the photographs used on this page. |
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1906
photo of house
01
fire