The descendants of former Edmonton mayor Harry Evans are opening the doors to the historic mansion he built more than a century ago, with hopes that the public tours will convince the city to preserve the property.

Evans, the city's 14th mayor, was elected in 1917 but never sought re-election following his single-year term.

Now his granddaughter, Jinny Hilliard, is fighting to show the city that the former politician's 1.9-acre home, known as Sylvancroft, should be spared from demolition. The house was built in 1912.

But the Glenora property's future is in question after Hilliard's aunt died in 2007. The family lost ownership then, and the land is likely to end up in the hands of a developer next week.

Slice of history

"Lady Eaton used to come for tea after she'd toured the Eaton store on Sunday," Hilliard said Tuesday, during her guided tours.

An interior view of the Sylvancroft mansion. CBC

The musty mansion is a look back to a time when previous tenants entertained servicemen during the First World War and city residents rode horses through Edmonton's streets.

For Hilliard, the memories are more personal.

"I used to come over here every day and hang around my grandparents," she said.

Among the notable invitees to the open house on Wednesday were mayor Stephen Mandel and councillor Ben Henderson.

Museum proposed

"I want them to see what this is and know this is something that should be held on to," Hilliard said.

"As our history slips past us and more and more development happens, you can't go back and rebuild it. So I feel that the more people who know about it, the more people who experience it will understand why we believe it should be saved."

For his part, city heritage planner David Holdsworth was optimistic about the building's future in Edmonton. He said he was hopeful the structure could be restored and incorporated into the developers' plans for a new subdivision.

"The initial discussion with the applicant seems quite positive," Holdsworth said.

Hilliard's wish is for the home to be converted into a museum, where local history can be treasured.

With files from the CBC's Andrea Huncar