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June 11, 2024
The Field Log House is part of the story of Edmonton, but also the story of a family who for 68 years occupied the home and built their lives and businesses and found success in the early years of our city. City Council has designated the Field Log House, one of the few remaining log homes in Edmonton, as an historic resource.
In 1934, Alfred and Marguerite Field received a building permit to construct a log house in the Bellevue neighbourhood. The Fields chose to build the house out of logs – sourced in Pigeon Lake – because they had honeymooned in Jasper and loved the look of the log cabins there. The house was built by Stuart Olson, who went on to found Mill and Olson, later Stuart Olson Ltd., which became one of Edmonton’s largest construction companies. The house was built in four months with a team of four builders. It was owned by the Field family until 2002.
“The Field House is really an interesting piece of Edmonton history,” said Principal Heritage Planner Sydney Gross. “It was built with local materials by a local builder who went on to national renown. The Fields were also a part of the business fabric of post-war Edmonton. It’s a small encapsulation of everything Edmonton became.”
The Fields opened a grocery store on 96 Street in 1933 and purchased an ESSO station and service garage on Fort Road in 1935. After the Second World War, Alfred founded a road construction firm, Field and Davis. Marguerite died in 1989 and Alfred died 1991.
The house is notable for its horizontal logs joined by a system of slats and grooves which are supported by upright logs at the corner. The siding of the old portion of the house was created with horizontal, rounded logs. A kitchen and dining room were added to the house in 1952, also built by Mill and Olson.
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