Heritage Register
Fairfield

1 Cook Street

Built 1912
Heritage-Designated 1987

For: Arthur & Eleanor Lineham

Architects: E. Stanley Mitton & H.T. Whitehead

ARCHITECTURE:

This impressive British Arts & Crafts Tudor Revival house is a landmark on the Dallas waterfront, across from Beacon Hill Park. A massive granite main storey of dressed irregular stones supports a half-timbered second storey with pebble-dash infill. Square faux pegs mark the joints of the timbering. The bellcast hipped roof has gabled extensions. The main eaves have simple molded modillions and the gable eaves have brackets. The central recessed entrance has, on the north side, a single large bracket supporting the roof. The front door is plain but has leaded art glass windows on either side. The main windows are mostly three-part casements with leaded art glass transoms in box bays. The upper windows are a mix of sashes and casements. Large dormers on each side are supplemented with later smaller shed dormers and some gables have added later glazing. There are three impressive panelled and corbelled red brick chimneys. Plain shingled balconies are added for the large front and back dormers.

Whitehead was the actual architect of this house, although at the time he was in partnership with Vancouver architect E. Stanley Mitton.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

In April 1898, at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Esquimalt, Arthur Lineham (c.1870-1923), an Englishman from Newark-on-Trent, married Eleanor Madigan (1873-1952), only daughter of Margareta McCoyle and Benjamin Madigan, noted HBC chief ship engineer. Arthur was manager of BC Light & Power Co. By 1920 he was a realtor with Ronald A.C. Grant in Grant & Lineham Ltd. He was a city alderman in 1921 but died in 1923 during a visit to Los Angeles, CA. Eleanor lived in the house until about 1937.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

About 1940 this house was converted to the Caro-Line Apartments. William Harris (1889-1960) and Caroline Cecilia (Helmann, 1888-1952) Munsie owned the building until the late 1940s. Caroline was born in Hartwell, NB, and came to Victoria after she married William in 1913. Born in Victoria, William owned and operated the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co for 26 years after taking over the company from his father in 1910.

This house remained an apartment building until Derek Dashwood purchased it in 1978 and turned it into the B&B, Dashwood Manor.