This $4.9 Million House Used to Be a Convent
This stunning heritage home once housed both an American millionaire and Catholic nuns
Where it is
717 Royal Ave. S.W. in Mount Royal
How much it costs
$4.99 Million
Who the realtor is
Dennis Plintz with Sotheby’s International Realty
What you get
- 5,924 square feet
- 6 bedrooms
- 6 bathrooms
- Full acre estate in the heart of Mount Royal
- Tudor revival style architecture and sandstone foundation
- Custom kitchen
- Heated indoor parking for six vehicles
- Tennis court
- Fully renovated coach house with kitchen, living, bedroom and bath
A little history
The Sayre Estate was originally owned by prominent Calgary business man A. J. Sayre. Sayre who bought the land from CPR for $1,400. Construction began in 1905 with the help of architecture firm Wilson, Hodges and Bates. At that time, Mount Royal was originally known as American Hill because of the large number of Americans who first moved there including Sayre (he was from Iowa).
In 1923, the Roman Catholic Church bought the property from Sayre for $20,000. It became the home of the Ursuline Sisters, a teaching order of nuns. Today, the property has upgrades including wet bar, built-in entertainment unit, landscaped yard, heated garage and more.
