Aden Bowman Residence

Description of the Historic Place

The Aden Bowman Residence features a two-and-a-half-storey home constructed in 1923 in the neighbourhood of Nutana. 

This historic place, located at 1018 McPherson Avenue,  was designated as a Municipal Heritage Property in 2006. The designation applies to the exterior of the house.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Aden Bowman Residence resides in its association with business and civic leader Aden Bowman. In 1906, Bowman founded one of the city's first bicycle repair shops, a business that eventually became one of the largest automotive supply houses in Canada. Bowman was also involved in civic affairs serving as an alderman for twelve years and chair of one of the city's school boards for fourteen years. Bowman lived in the house from 1923-1954.

The property is also valued for its association with several other prominent Saskatoon citizens such as Lillie Bowman and James Wedge. Lillie Bowman served as a city councillor (1955-1964), sat on numerous municipal boards and was a very active member of many non-profit and non-governmental organizations until her death in 1969. In 1963, Lillie Bowman was the recipient of the Saskatoon Quota Club’s Woman of the Year Award. Wedge, a lawyer, was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1960 and was a member of the Canadian Bar Association.

The Aden Bowman Residence is also valued for its association with its architect, R.M. Thompson. Thompson designed numerous other buildings in Saskatoon, including the Saskatoon Convalescent Home, Hazen-Twiss Building, Royal Bank Building, Dominion Bank Building, and Bank of Hamilton Building. Not conforming to any defined architectural style, Thompson’s design of this property features symmetry typical of his commissions. Especially noteworthy is his use of concrete as the main building material.

Source: City of Saskatoon Bylaw No.8548 / City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database / Canadian Register of Historic Places

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Its architecture, evident in its symmetry and sense of proportion, its symmetrically-placed front windows on both levels and the numerous sets of three windows that wrap around the north face of the building on the second level, the use of concrete as the primary building material, the stucco exterior, and the use of cedar shingles, and
• Those features that contribute to its historical and cultural value, including its placement on the original site.