This one and one-half storey, small, front -gable “English Tudor cottage” with basement, is located on a single lot near Central and St. Patrick Street and one block north of McNeill Bay.
Heritage Value
This 1935 house is valued as fine example of homes built for middle class families moving to the suburbs, as was the trend across North America in the 1930’s. These small, approximately 1,000 sq. ft., maximum one and one-half storey homes on small lots were designed for young families with steady but modest incomes. They often had front entry basement garages, reflecting the increasing importance and proliferation of the automobile.
With the subsequent large increase in land values, the lot of this house is now assessed at 6.5 times the value of the house making it subject to tear down and replacement with a large home, to the detriment to the look, feel and character of the streetscape and neighbourhood.
The house is a good example of the early work of contractor H.Cowper – in partnership with Hirst Realty who also commissioned 657 St. Patrick Street in 1935. Cowper built over 30 houses in Oak Bay between 1931 and 1947.
Character Defining Elements
- The location of the house in a row of homes of similar modest size, open to the well treed street creating a welcoming, human scaled streetscape.
- Small scale and mass (max 1.5 storeys) apparent to the street.
- Garage door entry to lower (basement) level off street.
- Large front windows each comprised of three sections: large center section "6 over 1" flanked by smaller "3 over 1" sections.
- Direct front entry via steps up to a small stoop.
- Painted stucco finish.
- Sharply peaked front facing gables.
- Corbels supporting a curved overhang above the front door.