Heritage Register
James Bay

110 Medana Street

Built 1914
Heritage-Designated 1989

For: Thomas & May Fletcher

Architect: Charles Elwood Watkins

ARCHITECTURE:

This 1½-storey, front-gabled, Edwardian Vernacular Arts & Crafts house has large, gabled, through-the-roof wall dormers on either side. There are cantilevered angled bays below the stuccoed and half-timbered dormers. There is an inset sleeping porch in the wide front gable, which is also stuccoed and half-timbered. There are brackets and columns on each side of the porch, which has a cantilevered, curved balustrade with sawn balusters and modillions. The recessed verandah beneath the gable has pairs of Tuscan columns, tapered shingled piers and fretwork balusters matching those of the balcony above. The front steps are offset to the right, and have stepped, solid shingled balustrades. All the gables have turned finials and pendants. The main floor siding is double-bevelled, the basement is shingled and the foundation is concrete. There are two corbelled chimneys and a period garage at the left rear.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

Thomas Fletcher and May Forman married in 1908 in Seattle, May’s home. They lived in Victoria and moved into this house in 1914. Thomas was a clerk in the family music business, Fletcher Bros. His father, Thomas Wilde Fletcher, was one of Victoria’s early pioneers in 1862. He established a music store in 1872 and sold pianos, organs, music, sewing machines and talking machines. Sons James, George and Thomas took over the business when Thomas retired in 1896. During its 80 years, the business expanded to Vancouver and Nanaimo. Thomas and May lived in this house until 1918; Thomas died in Duncan in 1958 at 79.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

Hector and Rosalind (Marshall) Finlayson lived here 1921-30. They married in Chemainus in 1916. Hector, son of John and Alexina Ann (McKinnon) Finlayson, was born in Victoria in 1878 and worked in the BC Government financial department until his death in 1930 at 51. Rosalind died in Port Alberni in 1973 at 79.

David Ritchie and Caroline (Bethell) Sheret resided here in the early 1930s. David was born in Scotland, lived in Victoria for 30 years, and worked as a carpenter for the BC Government for 39 years until his death in 1940 at 60. Caroline returned to this house in 1941 and lived here eight years. She died in 1972 at 98.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:

• James Bay History

• James Bay Heritage Register



• This Old House, Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Two: James Bay