Baker-Spalding Block Building Newly Historic
515 North Railway Street SE (Baker-Spalding Block)
Medicine Hat Public Services Committee is moving forward with the potential municipal historic designation of 515A North Railway Street SE, a decision that highlights how the city identifies, protects and debates the future of its historic buildings.
The property, known as the Baker-Spalding Block, was constructed around 1914 and sits along the North Railway Street corridor near the Canadian Pacific Railway yards. Council has been asked to issue a notice of intention to designate the building as a Municipal Historic Resource, beginning a 60 day notification period before a final bylaw is considered.
Municipal historic designation in Medicine Hat falls under Alberta’s Historic Resources Act and is used to provide legal protection for places considered significant to the city’s history and identity. To date, the city has designated 16 municipal historic resources. Buildings are typically researched and evaluated by the Heritage Resources Working Group, added to the city’s Heritage Inventory, and only move toward designation with owner notification and, in many cases, owner support.
In the case of 515A North Railway Street SE, the process was initiated after the property owner approached the Heritage Resources Working Group to learn more about designation. Research conducted as part of that process identified the building as having exceptional heritage value, leading to its classification as a Grade 1 resource, the highest level on the city’s inventory.
According to city documents, the Baker-Spalding Block is significant for several reasons. It is closely tied to the early commercial development of North Railway Street, which functioned as a pedestrian scale main street alongside the rail yards in the early 20th century. The building is also associated with Herbert H. Baker, a prominent local figure who constructed the block as part of a trio of similar buildings still standing on the street.
The building also holds cultural significance for its long connection to Medicine Hat’s Chinese community. From approximately 1919 to 1947, it housed Man Yick Hing Co., a Chinese goods store, and for decades served as a meeting place for the Chinese National League. City heritage staff note that such sites are increasingly rare, as many buildings tied to early Chinese settlement across southern Alberta have been altered or lost.
Architecturally, the two storey brick building is an example of Classical Revival commercial design, featuring locally produced brick, a pressed tin cornice, original wood windows and interior elements such as decorative tin ceilings. It anchors a cluster of historic buildings and contributes to the overall character of the North Railway streetscape.
If designated, the building would be protected from demolition or major alteration without city approval, and its character defining elements would need to be conserved. At the same time, ownership would not change, and the building could continue to be used, leased or sold. Designation would also make the property eligible for provincial heritage conservation grants.
City officials describe historic designation as a balance between preservation and continued use, rather than an effort to turn buildings into museum pieces. They argue it provides long term stability for historic areas while supporting reinvestment and adaptive reuse.
The discussion comes as some residents continue to express sadness over the loss of Riverside Elementary School, often asking what happened to features like the stone archways marked GIRLS and BOYS that once denoted separate entrances. For some, the proposed designation of 515A North Railway Street SE underscores broader questions about which buildings are saved, which are lost, and how those decisions shape collective memory.
Council is expected to revisit the designation after the notice period concludes, at which point a bylaw would be required to formally protect the building.
