What Is a Century Home?
When most people hear the term “century home,” they probably think of a house that is at least 100 years old. That's the straightforward definition, and technically it's correct. A home built in 1926 has reached its century, while one built in 1927 has not.
When we're talking about Calgary's older housing, however, the distinction isn't quite that simple. There are a large number of homes built in the decades leading up to the Second World War that may not technically be a century old yet, but belong to the same period of Calgary's residential history. For that reason, CalgaryCenturyHomes.ca generally considers homes built before 1945 when we're talking about century and historic homes.
The 1945 cutoff isn't arbitrary. It corresponds with an important change in the way Calgary was developing, and it is also a date used by the City of Calgary in its approach to many heritage and character properties. That doesn't mean a house built in 1944 is inherently more important than one built in 1946. Rather, it gives us a practical boundary for looking at Calgary's early residential neighbourhoods and the houses that give them much of their character.
Does a century home have to be original?
This is where things get more interesting. A house doesn't have to be untouched for the past hundred years to be worth calling a century home. In fact, it would be unusual to find a house that old that hasn't been changed in some way. Kitchens have been replaced, bathrooms modernized, electrical systems upgraded, windows replaced and floor plans altered to suit the people who have lived there over the years.
Personally, I don't think those changes diminish what makes an old house interesting. There is something particularly appealing about finding a 1910s or 1920s house that has been thoughtfully updated while retaining its original proportions, exterior character and some of its craftsmanship. You get the advantages of a modernized home without giving up everything that made the house distinctive in the first place.
At the same time, there is a completely different appeal to a home that has retained much of its original interior. Original woodwork, doors, floors, hardware and other details can tell you a great deal about how the house was built and how people lived when it was new. Some buyers will want as much of that as possible, while others will be perfectly happy with a thoroughly modern interior. Neither approach is wrong.
