HIGHLANDS AND VIRGINIA PARK COMMUNITY LEAGUES
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

HOMEPAGE

 
 
 
MAGRATH MANSION 
 
 

 

Highlands' historic Magrath Mansion sold after more than a year on the market

Lauren Boothby

August 4, 2021

The Magrath Mansion was just put on the market with an asking price over $5 million on Ada Blvd. in Edmonton, May 27, 2020. PHOTO BY ED KAISER /Postmedia

 

 

After more than 14 months on the market, Edmonton’s historic Magrath Mansion has been sold.

Contacted Wednesday, Cheryl Watt, an associate with Re/Max Excellence, confirmed the property has new owners but wouldn’t say the selling price or name the buyer. The Ada Boulevard home was listed for sale at $5.2 million in May 2020.

The mansion has been a centrepiece of the Highlands community since it was built in the early 1910s. Designed by architect Ernest W. Morehouse and built by William J. Magrath, it was declared a provincial historic resource in 1975.

 

The three-storey home covers five municipal city lots and overlooks the North Saskatchewan river. It has six bedrooms and five bathrooms. The 2020 ad listed other amenities including a three-car detached garage with a lift, five gas-insert fireplaces, a fully finished basement, and three full kitchens with gas stoves.

It was previously owned by Nellie and Sid Braaksma who bought it in 2000 for $675,000, although it was listed for $2 million. The owners previously told the Edmonton Journal they hoped to restore the home to its former glory.

Initially built with a ballroom, billiards chamber, and indoor swimming pool, the home was designed for entertaining and often hosted Edmonton’s elite when it was first constructed. The property boom that gave Magrath riches eventually went bust, and his wife surrendered the home to the city for back taxes by 1931.

It sat vacant until 1937 but then became a rooming house. The Ukrainian Catholic diocese bought the house around 1950. The dining room was converted into a chapel and indoor pool was used for file storage over the years.

The Highlands Historical Foundation said last year the home and garage cost about $76,000 in 1913, which would be worth about $2 million today with inflation.

– With files from Jeff Labine
 

 

 
August 20, 2021 Students will be hitting the books at the historic Magrath Mansion after the Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) acquired the building with the help of its largest donation in school history.

A $1.425-million gift donation from the Braaksma family, the mansion’s previous owners, helped the university make the purchase. The remaining $1.75 million was paid in cash by the school, said university president and vice-chancellor Tim Loreman. 

Loreman said the possibilities are endless for what the university can use the building for.“From hosting events on the lawn, to bringing guest lecturers and holding seminar classes in the library, to educating visitors on the property’s history and architecture, we cannot wait to begin welcoming our students, our faculty, staff and the community here in the near future,” said Loreman.

Loreman said it’s the role of universities to be involved with knowledge

preservation and acquiring the mansion does just that. He said the community will still be able to come and see the property on a regular basis.

 Nellie Braaksma lived in the Magrath Mansion at 6240 Ada Blvd. NW for more than 20 years, acquiring it with her late husband Sid Braaksma in 2000, and said it was just too big for her to live there on her own. The mansion, built in 1912 and 1913, features six bedrooms, five bathrooms and covers five municipal city lots.

“I’m sure they will love it. We got lots of bedrooms, so they can invite a lot of people over and to sleep over,” said Braaksma with a laugh. “We had lots of Christmas parties, open houses, weddings, really all sorts of things and we had a great time during that.”

Braaksma said her favourite memories from living in the three-storey mansion were at the beginning when they started fixing up the place. She said they painted, changed the electricity and sewage pipe. It took about one and a half years to get it all done and be moved in.

 The mansion was declared a provincial historic resource in 1975 and Loreman said the property will remain a lot like it was when it was first built. 

“The Magrath Mansion has been an important part of so many lives,” said Braaksma. “We’ve been fortunate to welcome visitors from around the world to the property to admire and appreciate it, and I am very happy that it will continue to have a presence and make an impact as part of CUE.”

James Wakelin, president of the CUE students’ association, said acquiring the mansion allows students to study it, admire it and learn from it.

“The possibilities are endless,” said Wakelin.

“The students will be really excited to explore the possibilities of the different events we can hold here, the grounds are beautiful and amazing.”

ktanguchi@postmedia.com    Photo by Davis Bloom/postmedia

twitter.com/kelle
 
 
 
 
e-mail : Care to comment?
John Tidridge

 
 
 
 
 

 

© All Rights Reserved by John Tidridge, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada