former Farnam Block (Saskatoon)

Canada / Saskatchewan / Saskatoon / Broadway Avenue, 650
 demolished  Add category
Real estate speculator Arlington Ingalls Farnam built the Farnam block in 1912, hoping to cash in on the boom the city was experiencing. He employed the newly formed Anglo/American architectural firm of Bugenhagen and Turnbull. Farnam hedged his bets by devoting the lower floors of his building to commercial uses, and the upper floors to residential. Many of the buildings dating from the pre-First World War boom period, both on Broadway and in the downtown area, feature the same mix of residential above the commercial below. The Farnam Block’s boutique area below the street level is, however, unique in the city. Rumour has it that Farnam had wanted it to be a hotel, but was blocked by the Temperance movement. The Farnam Block is a key architectural feature on Broadway. Its significance is recognized by plaque adjacent to the doorway.

The building, home to Farnam for two years, has always seen a mix of commercial and residential use, and was a favourite of dressmakers and tailors. Tenants of the basement business area, unique in Saskatoon, have included the Nutana Catholic Church (1917-19), John Gibson’s photographic studio (1926-57), and The Crypt nightclub in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Most recently, the entire building was home to Lydia's pub and restaurant, which closed in June 2013.

After sitting vacant for a year and a half, the Farnam Block's owners applied for a demolition permit in 2015.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/the-future-remains-unc...

Demolition began on March 11, 2015, despite a last-minute offer to save the building. The site is now a gravel parking lot.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/demolition-starts-on-s...

A proposal for a one-storey commercial building emerged in December 2017.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/construction-saskatoon...
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°7'8"N   106°39'26"W

Comments

  • The new owners of this building have applied to the city to have it demolished.
This article was last modified 7 years ago