SAM KATCHEN HOUSE
Firm: William G. Milne
Address: 804 Hillcrest Avenue SW
Date: 1956
Status: standing as built
Sam Katchen built his house on the property of the former T. J. S. Skinner House (1911). His brother Mire also had a house a block away (see Mire Katchen House).
According to Robert Stamp in his book Suburban Modern, this house was designed by Bill Milne. Stamp doesn't cite this claim. I haven't been able to find the drawings in the William G. Milne fonds. The Katchen House was included in the 1961 Allied Arts Centre House Tour.
Beginning in 2020, the house received an unforgivable renovation that stripped it of of mid-century character.
THE CLIENT
Sam Katchen (1911–2000) was born in Calgary on 4 January 1911 to Benjamin Katchen and Fanny Karsh. In 1938 Sam and his brother Mire founded Katchen Brothers, which later became Calgary Packers. They sold the business in 1955 to Canada Packers. Today their processing plant houses the Crossroads Market.
In 1933 Katchen married Dorothy Hanson (1913–1958). They had two children, Stan and Annabelle. Katchen died in Hollywood Beach, Florida on 11 January 2000 at age 89.