Oaklands Rise Heritage Tour

Stroll along the streets of Victoria's Oaklands Rise neighbourhood and discover its architecture and landscapes.

Victoria Heritage Foundation

Neighbourhood History

Oaklands was named after the area’s native Garry Oak trees. Originally a heavily forested area, it has been the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples (today’s Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations) for thousands of years. Soon after the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) established Fort Victoria, the area was surveyed in the 1850s and divided into large lots. Roderick Finlayson, chief trader of the HBC, purchased several properties including the land south of Ryan and west of Scott Streets. Sarah and Roderick Finlayson‘s 103-acre Rock Bay estate remained largely undeveloped until after Sarah’s death in 1906. The majority of development in Oaklands occurred between WWI and WWII. Before this, vast sections west of Bowker Creek and Hillside Mall were farmland. There were areas of swampland along Haultain Street. Although the area was surveyed as residential lots in the 1880s, the first significant building boom wasn’t until 1909-13. In 1908 an investment company proposed building houses on 350 lots covering 80 acres either side of Cedar Hill Rd, between Hillside and Bay. The development was to be known as Rockland Park. In 1911, suburban lots were advertised in the Daily Colonist newspaper for $500, promising “level lots, no rock”. Many lots were bought by investors and houses were built speculatively during the building boom. The development catered to moderate-income earners, and was promoted as “being only a mile from city hall, yet it possesses all the advantages with regard to pure air of rural surroundings”. The new residents were accommodated by an extension of the streetcar line along Hillside Avenue. The pre-WWI population increase resulted in the construction of Oaklands School in 1913. The boom ended in 1913-14, and the neighbourhood took many years to infill with more homes. Hillside Mall, built 1962, and nearby Hillside Rd is Oakland’s main commercial centre. There is a charming cluster of small shops at Haultain Corners. In 1998 the original Oaklands Elementary School underwent a major renovation and continues in its role providing education to young children and serving as a resource to local community groups. The Cridge Centre’s (originally the BC Protestant Orphanage) landmark 1893 building at Cook and Hillside, is home to BC’s oldest registered non-profit society and continues to serve the community. Oaklands remains largely a neighbourhood of single-family houses and is popular with families. In recent years, residents have advocated and worked for the protection of natural areas and the rural ambience of the streetscapes.

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1

Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish Cemetery is the oldest continuously operating cemetery in BC. It was consecrated in 1859. It has connections to many pioneers from Victoria and other places. The Hebrew inscription on the gatepost translates to "House of the Living".

2

1259 Acton St

Charming 1913 Craftsman Bungalow is clad in unequal coursed shingles, stucco and half-timbered gables. Original features include box bays on both sides, tapered porch columns, birdsmouth bargeboard ends, stepped brackets, front windows are 9 lights-over-one.

3

1255 Acton St

1912 Craftsman Bungalow has open eaves with exposed beams, knee brackets in gables. Pointed barge-board ends and rafter tails. Box bay on left side of house. Clad in shingles with unequal coursing.

4

1251 Acton St

1911 Craftsman Bungalow with box bays on either side of inset front porch with square columns, front door with sidelights. You’ll notice that many streets lack sidewalks, creating a walkable, shared space with a unique, almost rural feel in an urban area.

5

1250 Acton St

1911 well-preserved shingled house retains many original features including gabled dormer on hipped roof, boxed bay on front, two angled bays on right side, front porch supported by tapered piers; turned columns. The Christian Brethren established a Sunday school here at W. R. Galloway’s home. The church moved locations several times in the Oaklands area and is currently the Oaklands Chapel at Fernwood and Cedar Hill Rds.

6

1246 Acton St

1914 side-gabled Craftsman with large front and back dormers, open eaves, knee brackets. Right side includes shed-roofed box bay, brick wall chimney flanked by piano windows.

7

1241 Acton St

1915 Craftsman Bungalow with half-width recessed front porch, knee brackets in gable, birdsmouth bargeboard ends.

8

1234 Acton St

1913 Foursquare-style house with hipped roof and dormer, box bay on front, angled bay on right side. Porch filled in. Stuccoed and converted to suites in 1960.

9

2731-33 Mt. Stephen Ave

1946 bungalow converted to duplex 1991. Multi-hipped roof, clad in bottleglass stucco, exterior shouldered brick chimney, exposed rafter ends, octagonal window in entry.

10

2710 Mt Stephen Ave

1927 1½-storey Arts & Crafts, duplexed & stuccoed in 1957. Recessed front porch, knee brackets in gable, closet windows either side of upper triple windows, birdsmouth bargeboard ends.

11

2723 Mt Stephen Ave

One of four in a row similar houses (2709 was replaced with a new house in 1999) built speculatively for real estate developer Norman "Howard" Caulfield who lived nearby at  2711 Fernwood . 1½-storey Edwardian Vernacular built 1913, octagonal bay, gabled porch extension on front, box bay on left. Gabled dormer on left; shed-roofed dormer on right.

12

2719 Mt Stephen Ave

Built 1912 for realtor N.H. Caulfield. Recessed front porch, original triple window assemblies with multipane uppers and storm windows. Box bay and gabled dormer on right side.

13

2715 Mt Stephen Ave

Built 1913 for realtor N.H. Caulfield. Similar to 2719, different cladding, replacement windows, partially enclosed recessed front porch, unusual bargeboard ends.

14

2703 Mt Stephen Ave

Stucco bungalow built by contractor Peter Bugslag for G.F. Sharpe in 1936. Hipped extension on left, later dormer additions. Address was changed from 1266 Kings in 1948. Hipped roof, recessed entry with rounded arch. Tripartite windows with leaded sashes.

15

1285 Kings Rd

1942 English Cottage for owner/builder F. Drysdale at a cost of $3,200. Front entry recessed behind brick arched opening. Leaded diamond-paned window uppers, original basement garage.

16

1278 Kings Rd

1915 side-gabled shingled Craftsman Bungalow with full-width arched front porch and dormer window, brick foundation, flared banister, open eaves with stepped brackets.

17

1280 Kings Rd

1½-storey Craftsman built in 1912 with many original details remaining, including decorative details on balustrade & in gables, original windows including diamond-shaped closet windows. Early basement garage below gabled porch with heavy square columns, upper balcony.

18

1282 Kings Rd

1913 Arts & Crafts Bungalow. Low-pitched roofs over wide front gable, and front gable extension over half-width verandah with side-facing front door. Porch features square wood posts on tapered stone pillars. Small decorative window beside front entry. Front cantilevered box bay with shed roof contains original triple window assembly with wood storm windows.

19

2656 Cedar Hill Rd

Built 1913 by builder Evan O. Griffiths. 1½-storey front-gabled Homestead style with full-height gabled bay on left side. Inset corner porch has been enclosed. Some lots on this part of Cedar Hill Rd. are unusually deep. Several have been subdivided to allow for an additional house at the back.

20

2650 Cedar Hill Rd

1954 stucco bungalow with low-pitched, multi-hipped roof. Concrete steps and wrought iron railing lead to inset entry with octagonal window.

21

2653-55 Cedar Hill Rd

Built 1912 by Tinnion & Hawkins. Originally a hip-roofed Colonial Bungalow, it has undergone many changes, especially to the upper storey. Original features include gabled entry porch with tapered round columns and box bays on either side.

22

2651 Cedar Hill Rd

1913 by owner/builder Harry Tinnion. Symmetrical façade has full-width hip-roofed verandah with round, tapered columns on stone piers. Upper tripartite windows flanked by multipane closet windows. Right side dormer with two box bays below. Stuccoed in 1956.

23

2640 Cedar Hill Rd

1912 Craftsman Bungalow clad in shingles with stucco and half-timbered front gables. Knee brackets, decorative bargeboard ends, front box bay has pent roof, two box bays on left side, corbelled brick chimneys. Original front door and sidelight.

24

2636 Cedar Hill Rd

1912 Edwardian Vernacular clad in narrow siding on main with shingles on basement and upper levels. Full-width recessed verandah over angled bay, closet windows in upper gable, right side hip-roofed dormer.

25

2639 Cedar Hill Rd

Modest hipped-roof 1946 bungalow built for $5,050, clad in stucco with horizontal features, recessed corner entry with side facing steps, corner windows with horizontal muntins. Recent rear addition.

26

2624 Cedar Hill Rd

1912 Craftsman Bungalow developed by Nagina Singh of Khalsa Realty Co, designed by Seattle architect Jesse Warren (architect for Central Bldg, McPherson Playhouse). Gabled porch with knee brackets has been enclosed, left side box bay.

27

2620 Cedar Hill Rd

1913 Craftsman Bungalow has a gabled porch with square posts, solid balustrade. Stucco & half-timbered gables with knee brackets. From 1911-26 the Victoria Botanical Beverage Company operated from the rear, delivering sodas door to door.

28

1274 Haultain St

Built 1912 for butcher George Goeig. Colonial Bungalow converted to multi-unit, at which time the original recessed porch on the left was likely enclosed. Hip-roofed dormers, front and side shallow angled bays, exposed rafter ends.

29

2542 Fernwood Rd

Original 1909 owner/builder A.H. Mitchell. Front-gabled Edwardian Vernacular with 2-storey angled bay, finials, enclosed offset front verandah, whalebone bargeboards. Haultain marks the boundary between the Oaklands and Fernwood neighbourhoods. The south side is in the Fernwood planning area.

30

2541 Fernwood Rd

Handsome circa 1910 Edwardian bungalow. Hip-roofed with three hipped dormers, enclosed eaves, shed-roofed porch with square posts shelters angled bay, stepped balustrade flanks central stairs, shingle cladding. Chimney pierces left dormer.

31

2606-08 Fernwood Rd

1947 duplex designed by J. Bithell. Multi-hipped roof, stucco with octagonal windows in entries, single garage on Haultain side.

32

2615 Fernwood Rd

Built 1910 with inset corner porch on right, gabled shallow box bay on left, windows with diamond lattice muntins. Basement garage. Stuccoed in 1964.

33

2617 Fernwood Rd

1912 Craftsman Bungalow with half-width front verandah with open trusses in gable, chamfered columns over tapered shingled piers. Exterior chimney on left side of house. Neatly finished in double drop siding over unequal-coursed shingles.

34

2616 Fernwood Rd

Built by contractor Frank Clark in 1913. Full-width front verandah has wood columns on brick piers. Original details include birdsmouth bargeboard ends, knee brackets in open eaves, jigsaw porch brackets, front door. Replacement windows and vinyl siding.

35

2620 Fernwood Rd

Built by Frank Clark in 1913. Side-gabled Arts & Crafts house with arched sleeping porch in gabled dormer over full-width front verandah. Brick piers with wood square columns and jigsaw brackets.

36

2624-26 Fernwood Rd

Circa 1912 Edwardian Vernacular with large gabled dormers, dentils in beltcourses between levels. Front porch has been enclosed. Converted to a duplex in 1945.

37

2628 Fernwood Rd

Built by Frank Clark in 1912. Arts & Crafts house has partial-width front porch with square wood posts on tapered stone piers, exposed eaves with knee brackets in gables.

38

2637 Fernwood Rd

Built 1912 for realtor N.H. Caulfield. Same plan as 2715 Mt Stephen. L-shaped front staircase with stepped balustrade, leading to inset corner porch on left front of house, triple windows with multipane uppers, front door with sidelights. Box bay on right side of house. Later stucco over original wood siding.

39

2645 Fernwood Rd

Arts & Crafts house clad in double drop siding with a half-timbered gable. Box bays on the left front and side, inset corner porch covered by a pedimented portico supported by chamfered wood posts on tapered stone piers. Painted in its original colours with financial assistance from the Victoria Heritage Foundation. Built 1912 by Parfitt Bros who became one of Victoria’s leading and longest surviving construction firms.  Heritage-designated  properties are protected by municipal bylaw. Exterior cannot be altered or building demolished without City approval. Designated houses are eligible for rehabilitation grants from the Victoria Heritage Foundation.

40

2642 Fernwood Rd

1913 front-gabled house, full-width front verandah with tapered wood columns on stone piers. Wide central front-facing stairs with stone balustrade. Large side dormers, octagonal bays on both sides of front door, upper diamond-shaped closet windows, balcony set into front porch roof, finials on all points. Front door has art glass and sidelights.

41

2659 Fernwood Rd

1950 bungalow, stuccoed with recessed front entrance, curved concrete steps and brick planter to the right of entrance.

42

2663 Fernwood Rd

Designed 1913 by architect C. Elwood Watkins (architect for Vic High), built by Parfitt Bros. for Frederick & Sarah Parfitt. 10-room house cost $7,000. 2½-storey, Edwardian Arts & Crafts with exposed rafter-tails and finials in all gables. Variety of cladding and box bays. Inset corner porch has two full-height granite piers and two granite pilasters, sawn balusters with Arts & Crafts motif. Original balcony above porch was enclosed 1985.  Heritage-registered  properties are not formally protected. However, heritage values are recognized and may warrant future protection.

43

2662 Fernwood Rd

Built 1938 by Parfitt Bros for Saanich school teacher Norris Harwood and wife Netta. Hip-roofed stucco cottage with front gable & smaller gable extension over front porch with side facing steps and wrought iron rail. Arched opening in front porch has been enclosed with leaded diamond-paned window.

44

1306 Kings Rd

1923 Craftsman Bungalow with open eaves and exposed rafter tails. Half-width gabled verandah features tapered wood posts on granite piers. Cladding includes shingles, double drop siding with stucco and half-timbered gables. Matching granite side garden wall.

45

1323-25 Kings Rd

1912 shingled Craftsman with exposed rafter tails and knee brackets. Shed-roofed porch supported by triple corner posts shelters two entries on Kings. Upper balcony on Roseberry side. Corner wraparound bracketed box bay. Note the native plant garden.

46

2713 Avebury Ave

1912 modest Arts & Crafts bungalow designed with half-timbered gable, small inset front porch with long brackets, front door assembly with sidelights.

47

2722 Avebury Ave

1912 British Arts & Crafts house by architect Bryant H. Newbold, British Canadian Home Bldrs. Jerkinhead gable with heavy knee brackets, shed-roofed dormer, full-width front verandah with long brackets. Now stuccoed, it was originally clad in shingles with half-timbered gables. Upper sleeping porch was closed-in.

48

2723 Avebury Ave

1940 bungalow, side gabled, with front gable extension over entrance. Side facing entrance to small porch. Built for Victoria policeman Doug Buckle for $2,500 by Luney Bros. They were prolific Victoria building contractors from 1885-1962. Known primarily for their commercial and institutional buildings, they also built some custom homes.

49

2739 Avebury Ave

Built 1914, this neatly finished smaller Edwardian Vernacular was built for Mrs Sadie Hunter. The angled bay on right is offset by inset porch on left. There is another angled bay on right side of house. Note art glass transom windows.

50

2740 Avebury Ave

1913 front-gabled house with gabled half-width verandah (enclosed 1953). Shallow box bay on front with tripartite windows, and a box bay on left side. Neatly refinished with finials in gables and trimmed with dentils.

51

2744 Avebury Ave

1914 Craftsman house built mostly of stone. Roof is bracketed with exposed rafter tails, dominated by sleeping porch with a Tudor arch. Full-width recessed verandah, tapered wood porch posts set on granite piers. Panelled front door and side lights. Owner/contractor Vladimar Johnson was Victoria-born son of Icelandic immigrants who settled in Fernwood in 1880s.

52

2753 Avebury Ave

A modest 1914 side-gabled Craftsman Bungalow has open eaves with knee brackets, birdsmouth bargeboard ends. Clad in uneven-coursed shingles, tapered window casings. Inset front porch is supported by a cluster of three heavy corner posts.

53

1403-05 Ryan St

Inverary is prominently sited on a high double lot. Built 1913 by Walter Cronk for John M. Campbell, principal of North Ward School. 2-storey side-gabled house with upper balcony in full-height front porch with impressive double wood columns on stone piers, stepped balustrade flanks central stairs. Original windows with horns, stone garden wall. Duplexed c.1931, stuccoed c.1960.

54

1418 Ryan St

Two-storey Art Deco/Moderne designed by W.R. Gibbons. Built 1941 at 1434 Hillside, it was slated for demolition in 1965 to make way for what became Aberdeen Hospital, but house was moved here instead. Typical Art Deco features include flat roof, stucco, curved upper projecting bay, lower windows with horizontal muntins.

55

2760 Roseberry Ave

Bungalow built 1928 for Walter Moore, bookkeeper for Moore-Whittington Lumber Co. Multi-hipped roof with paired modillions under eaves. Corner steps lead to both front and side porches. Front porch has round columns and arched roof; side porch covered by trellis supported by large stucco pier.