Heritage Register
Fairfield

616 Trutch Street

Built 1909
Heritage-Designated 1997

For: Herbert Knott

Builder: H.T. Knott

ARCHITECTURE:

This storey-and-a-half, front-gabled Edwardian Arts & Crafts house has a shingled exterior and a low-pitched roof with V-joint tongue-and-groove soffits, prominent turned finials and corbelled red brick chimneys. The right corner recessed front porch is balanced by a cantilevered box bay to the left. The square tapered and moulded porch posts stand on river rock piers with a plain spindled balustrade. Front-facing steps with stepped river rock parapets lead to a simple entrance door with dentil detail under a single light. Both sets of front tripartite windows are 1-over-1. The main floor window has a central art glass transom. There are gabled dormers and box bays on both sides. The property is enhanced by a substantial front garden rock wall and pillars, and wooden gates with spade motif cutouts. The house cost $2,500.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

Herbert Thomas Knott (1466 Gladstone Av, Fernwood) sold the house shortly after building it, and it was home to a number of tenants in subsequent years. Angus and Jessie Smith, the first occupants, lived here until about 1912. Angus was a City engineer. Investor George M. Davis and lived here for several years from 1914. By 1920, William C. and Evelyn A. Mooney were living here. William was managing director for Western Chocolate Co.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

The Littler family bought the house in 1922 and owned it for a number of years. They had previously lived at 806 Linden Av (Fairfield). Born in Bexley Heath, Kent, England, the Rev. Charles Rogers Littler (1862-1922) attended King’s College in London, and St. John’s College in Winnipeg, MB. In 1886 he was ordained and served some 16 years in Manitoba parishes. After returning to England 1903-07, he came back to Canada and lived in Regina before coming to Victoria in 1911. He held a variety of posts within the Anglican Church, and in 1914 became secretary of the Provincial Synod, retaining this position until his death.

Charles only lived in this house for six months before he died in 1922. His wife Emily Isabel (Mercer, 1864-1938) lived elsewhere for several years, but rented the house to various tenants from about 1924-30. She was living here again by 1931 and spent the rest of her life here.

The next owners were Edgar Charles (1898-1952) and Elspeth Mary (Cochrane) Holloway, who lived here from about 1939-49. Edgar was a music teacher born in Croydon, England, who came to Victoria in 1921. He married Elspeth in 1934.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:

• Fairfield History

• Fairfield Heritage Register



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