Heritage Register
Fairfield

816 Linden Avenue

Built 1907
Heritage-Registered

For: Percy Raymond

Designer/Builder: D.H. Bale

ARCHITECTURE:

This house cost $3,000 to build in 1907. D.H. Bale was the designer/builder since he was listed as the agent for the owner on the Plumbing Permit. The distinctive feature of this 1½-storey Edwardian Vernacular Arts & Crafts house is the large upper sleeping porch with its shingled arch and finely detailed wood balusters. The height of the balustrade appears to have been added on to, in order to conform to code. The steeply-pitched, front-gabled roof has large gabled dormers on each side and two brick chimneys with square pots. Double-bevel beaded siding is used for cladding including on the square posts, while the gables are shingled. A denticulated belt course defines each level. Dentils are also used around the porch posts. A solid balustrade encloses the full-width recessed verandah as well as the wooden stairs. The verandah shelters triple windows adjacent to the offset front door and an angled tripartite bay window consisting of a centre fixed panel with a leaded art glass transom and double-hung windows on either side. The front door has full-length leaded bevelled glass. Most other windows are double-hung. The house was converted to a duplex in 1955. There is a period garage in the back with vertically-hinged folding doors.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

Original owner Percy Augustine Raymond (1873-1940) lived here until the mid-1910s and then lived briefly at the October Mansion before moving to 527 Trutch St (Fairfield). Born in London, ON, Percy came to BC in 1887. He was the son of John Raymond (254 Belleville St, James Bay). In 1899 he married Alison Hume McArthur (1879-1951), a native of New Westminster. Percy was a partner in Raymond & Sons, Lime and Cement dealers. He was secretary of Elks Lodge for 17 years and was given a life membership when he retired in 1939.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

By 1921 Charles Randall (1880-1963) and Maude Dorothy (Worthington, 1884-1942) Bishop were living here. Born at Annapolis Royal, NS, Charles came to Victoria in 1901. In 1905 he married Maude Worthington, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, who came here with her family in 1890. Charles first worked at Saunders grocery store, and then as a traveler with R.P. Rithet before buying a hotel and store at Union Bay. He returned to Victoria in 1917 and co-founded the real estate and insurance company of Bishop and Worthington; he was owner-manager until he retired in 1948. In the 1920s-30s, Charles was secretary of the Victoria Liberal Association and the Victoria School Board before WWII. Maude died at this house in 1942, and Charles stayed until the 1950s, then moved to 1821 Hollywood Cr.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:

• Fairfield History

• Fairfield Heritage Register



• This Old House, Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Four: Fairfield, Gonzales & Jubilee