ARCHITECTURE:
This stunning British Arts & Crafts Tudor Revival 2½-storey house has a steeply-hipped main roof with exposed rafter tails and substantial gabled extensions on the front and two sides. There are two gabled dormers, one on the front, the other on the rear. All gables are jettied with corbels and have wide bargeboards and finials. The front gable has a very shallow second-storey box bay on its right half and on its left half, a balcony projects over the front entry porch. There is a large deck over a one-storey extension on the left side. On the right side is a large balcony over the side entry porch and porte-cochère. The gables and upper floor are heavily half-timbered with roughcast stucco. The main floor at front and sides is clad in granite, as are the battered front porch piers and the straight piers of the porte-cochère. The rear is clad in shingles. The open verandah of stone-capped granite on either side of the front porch wraps around to the porte-cochère. There are two granite chimneys, an external one on the right side. The property retains its front granite wall and wrought iron railings.
Grierson bought the property in 1910 from Dr. Annie Cleland for $21,000 and demolished the 1902 Hawthorndene. The new house, built for $12,000, has been extensively rehabilitated. It is a single family dwelling once again, with several condominiums built at the rear of the property in sympathetic style.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1910-22: Edmund “Edward” DeLesert “Del” Grierson (b. Cavan, ON 1860-1922) worked his way west from Winnipeg in CPR construction in the 1880s. He made his money in Edmonton hotels and real estate, and was a City Councillor 1901-04. Grierson Presbyterian Church (he donated land for the first church), Delton neighbourhood and Grierson Hill are named for him. In 1892 with partner Fred Jackson he purchased Queens Hotel in Edmonton and later built, managed and lived in Alberta Hotel. He married Mrs. Lola Booth (née Dittebrandt, b. St. Louis, MO, USA c.1875) in Multnomah, OR, USA in 1904.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1922-31: In 1926 Lola Grierson married her neighbour, widower Alfred Cornelius Flumerfelt (b. Markham, ON 1856-1930) in Calgary. He lived at 835 Pemberton Rd Ruhebuhne with first wife Ada (see 855 Pemberton Rd). Alfred was in the wholesale boot and shoe business from 1875-79 when he moved to Winnipeg. Disposing of his business to Ames, Holden & Co (853 Fort St), he came here as their branch manager 1886-1900. He was a member of many boards of directors and organizations including Victoria-Columbia Lodge No. 1, AF&AM, Union Club, president Victoria Board of Trade 1893-1903, life governor of Vancouver and Winnipeg General Hospitals, VP and director of RJH, and Treasurer, Protestant Orphans Home (1190 Kings Rd). He served as Garrison Artillery quartermaster with rank of captain. He was City Councillor 1893-1903; an MLA, Prem William Bowser appointed him Minister of Finance in 1915. He was defeated by Harlan Carey Brewster in a 1916 Victoria by-election. He and Lola lived in the house until his death. She left the City in 1931 and Ruhebuhne was demolished.
Tenants: 1933-34: John “Jack” Moore Nichol (b. Vancouver 1899-1941), son of BC Lt-Gov Walter C. Nichol (1759 Rockland Av), and Millicent “Minnie” Lister (née Beveridge, b. Vancouver 1903-1975) married in 1929, later divorced.
1939-52: Haliburton Weldon (b. NB 1886-1946) and Eunice Margaret (née Bowser, b. NB 1896-1972) married in 1942. Both had been married before, she to Arthur Knox Mitchell (b. Marietta, OH, USA 1887-1930), and he to Maryon Critchley (née Galt, 1893-1938), daughter of John and Mabel Galt (1320 Rockland Av). Haliburton died in Mexico where he had business interests. Eunice, niece of BC Premier William Bowser, came to Victoria in 1913 and later lived at 1001 Terrace Av until her death.
1953: A.C. Bancroft converted the house to five suites for $6,000. 1955-58: Jessie Sweeting moved here after her husband’s death (638 Rockland Pl); her long-time neighbour at 638 Rockland, Florence Wright, moved here after 1958.