ARCHITECTURE:
Rappahannock is a substantial, 2½-storey Tudor Revival, British Arts & Crafts house. It is hip-roofed with front and rear gabled extensions separated by wide flat-roofed dormers. The upper gables have bracketed bargeboards, finials and half-timbering. A denticulated, corbelled string course separates the upper gable from the second floor. The flat-roofed entrance porch on the right supports a balcony. Both the balcony and the porch have heavy, paired square posts; those of the porch sit on a granite balustrade. There is a verandah and balcony on the right rear. The main floor and foundation are granite, the second floor is shingled. There are three ribbed and corbelled brick chimneys, one of which is an exterior wall chimney. There is a modern one storey shingled addition at the rear of the right wing.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1910-13: Herbert Bowen (b. Hampton, VA, USA 1866-1940) married Nancy Jane “Jannie” (née Andrews, b. ON 1869-1918) in Calgary, AB c.1892 where she was a dressmaker living with her sister’s family. He was a general merchant and applied for a homestead grant in 1905. They came here with their children in 1910. He was a successful realtor and after retiring was a clerk at various local hotels. She died in Los Angeles.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1914-17: Hon. Col. William Henry Coy, 50th Rgt [Gordon Highlanders of Canada] (b. Fredericton, NB 1873-1925) married Ida May (née Kilburn, b. NB 1866-1931) in Boston, MA, USA in 1892 when they were both telegraph operators. They arrived here in 1913. A real estate broker, he purchased this house for $80,000 then moved to Vancouver in 1918. Instrumental in founding the 50th Rgt, on Nov 21, 1913, he was made Hon. Lt-Col and promptly donated $35,000 to the Rgt then led by General Sir Arthur William Currie, GCMG, KGB (1114 Arthur Currie Ln).
Tenant: 1917-18: RJH clerk Margaret Cowell (b. Ramsey, Isle of Man, 1881-1985) was an active member of Victoria Branch, Alpine Club of Canada. In 1929, after managing Oak Bay Hotel for five years, she and associates purchased it. In June 1930, she married Edward Clark Posgate (b. Gravesend, Kent, ENG 1870-1957).
1917-22: Alfred “Ernest” “A.E.” Cross (b. Montréal, 1861-1932) married Helen “Nell” Rothney (née MacLeod, b. Fort MacLeod, AB 1878-1959) in AB in 1899. This house was purchased as a second home for the family, who had been coming to stay for extended periods of time in Oak Bay since 1910. Cross, a graduate of Ontario Agricultural College and Montréal Veterinary College, came to Calgary in 1884 as veterinarian and assistant manager of British-American Horse Ranch Co. In 1885 he founded the a7 Ranche (sic) becoming one of the West’s most prominent cattlemen. In 1912 he was one of the “Big Four” founders of Calgary Stampede (see Pat Burns, 528 St. Charles St Rockland). The “a7” now owned by John Cross, is one of the oldest and largest family-owned ranches in Canada. In1892 he established Calgary Brewing & Malting Co, first brewery in NWT. His wife was the daughter of Lt-Col James Farquharson MacLeod, CMG, NWMP who led a contingent W in 1874, over what became the MacLeod Trail, to establish Fort MacLeod. She was the first non-indigenous child born in Southern Alberta. Cross was elected Conservative MLA in 1899 for NWT.* *Sherrill MacLaren, Braehead: Three Founding Families in Nineteenth Century Canada.
1923-49: Arthur Charlton Burdick (b. Dorchester, ON 1874-1951) married Vina (née Dixie, b. Petrolia, ON 1873-1949) in Winnipeg in 1901. He came to BC in 1897 and established Burdick Bros & Brett Ltd, Stock Brokers in 1907, which became Green & Burdick Bros. In 1920 he became mng dir of BC Salvage Co. He designed the tug Salvage King in 1925; it was built in Bow McLachlan Co yard, Paisley, SCT. Burdick gained fame on the Pacific Coast for the tug’s ability to carry out marine disaster rescue. He managed North Vancouver Ship Repair Ltd from 1942-45. He moved to the Union Club after Vina’s death.
1950-53: Hon William Neelands Chant, MLA (b. Brampton, ON 1895-1971) married Ella Victoria (née Langbell b. ND, USA 1895-1971) in Camrose, AB in 1921. He was drafted in 1918 and served until 1919 in the 21st Reserve Alberta Rgt. They farmed in Camrose and he represented the area as MLA 1935-40 and Min of Agriculture. They retired here in 1948 and in 1951 he was a salesman for A. Barnard & Co. He again entered politics and was MLA 1953-71, representing Victoria 1953-66. He was Min of Pub Works in WAC Bennett govt. They retired to Chilliwack.
1954: Capt Maurice Gilbert Troop (b. New Westminster, BC 1892-1982) married Edith Mary (nee Braimbridge, b. Blackpool, ENG 1894-1983) in Nanaimo in 1915; he was a farmer and she a confectioner. They converted the house to nine suites in 1954.