Rundle Ruins
Stampede Campus is home to the Rundle Ruins. They are the remnants of Calgary’s Second General Hospital built in 1899. The Stampede proudly stewards and preserves the ruins for public use. They cannot be booked for private events, but you are welcome to visit anytime.
Calgary’s Second General Hospital
The Rundle Ruins are the remains of Calgary’s first major hospital, but considered the city’s second general hospital (the first one being a two story house that was falling apart, complete with bullet holes).
At the time of opening it featured 35 beds, an operating room, and a nursing school, along with then-modern amenities of electric lights and telephones. As Calgary grew, so too did the hospital: by 1905, two maternity wings had been added, along with a second two-storey ward. Yet, by 1908, the demand for a larger hospital hospital spurred construction of a new hospital that was constructed across the Bow River (in what is now Bridgeland).
Architecture + Donor Legacy
The Second General Hospital was designed in a neo-Romanesque style typical of the late 1900s (the original Romanesque style was made popular sometime between the 6th and 11th centuries in Europe). Calgary architects Child & Wilson (responsible for many other works in the city including Bow Valley Ranche) designed the building, and it made use of sandstone that was taken from the nearby banks of the Elbow River.
In addition to the public money raised for this new hospital, there was an important gift in the will of Jimmy Smith, a prominent Chinese-Christian business man who was well loved in the community. He passed away in 1890 from tuberculosis and through his will he left $1500 to build a new hospital in the city (roughly equivalent to $40,000 in today’s money).
Post-Hospital Use
From the time it was built until the 1950s the building operated as a hospital. In 1955, it began operation as a seniors residence run by the United Church of Calgary. In the 1970s, the government of Alberta offered to erect a new building on the site after their recommendation suggested that the building was not of regional importance. Demolition followed, despite attempts by local groups led by architect Jack Long lobbying for rehabilitation of the building.
The ruins remain as one of the earliest examples of sandstone construction within the city of Calgary, as well as a reminder of the importance of heritage preservation in Alberta.
credit:
https://www.avenuecalgary.com/city-life/the-story-of-the-rundle-ruins/
https://beltline.ca/community/heritage/rundle-ruins
Christine Leppard, PhD, Historical Specialist, Calgary Stampede
Visiting the Ruins
The ruins are open to the public, 24 hours a day. They are an incredibly popular spot for photographers - many times you might see shoots for weddings or engagements. There is limitied parking in the TransAlta Performing Arts Studios parking lot, street parking on 12th Ave. Parking is first-come, first-serve.
