Heritage Register
North Park

1519 Amelia Street (ex-1 Amelia St)

Built early 1870s
Heritage-Registered

For: Samuel & Mary Styles

Builder: Samuel Thomas Styles

ARCHITECTURE:

The front of this 2-storey Italianate is dominated by a full-height, panelled, octagonal bay. A decorative front entry apparently includes the original door assembly and fluted columns on chamfered bases with turned balusters. However, the columns have lost their original ornate acanthus capitals, and the upper balcony with matching railing and balusters is gone. The corbelled chimney is also lost, but the house retains the original wide drop siding. Curiously, it is stuccoed on one side, perhaps a relic of all-over stuccoing.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

It seems likely Sam Styles built this house for himself. This is thought to be the earliest of the seven remaining cottages built by him at 1517, 1519, 1521, 1525, 1527 and 1529 Amelia St, and 836 Cormorant St at the top of Amelia. Sam came to Victoria from Egham, Surrey, England c. 1864 with his brother George. He and business partner John Kinsman established one of the earliest building and contracting firms in BC, and built the penitentiary in New Westminster. Styles was responsible for the construction of many of Victoria’s earliest buildings, including the naval buildings in Esquimalt. He served as City alderman for a number of years, and retired in 1891. Samuel’s wife, Mary Elizabeth, and their son drowned when the steamship Pacific sank near Cape Flattery on Nov 4, 1875. Sam died in this house in 1911.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

This house was subsequently home to a number of residents. Spencer’s employee William Adamson (1874-1968), and his wife Charlotte (1874-1913) moved here in 1912. The Adamsons were born in Scotland, and came to Victoria in 1906. William lived here briefly after his wife’s death, then served with the PPCLI during the First World War. Widow Sarah Goodison lived here in 1917, and by 1921, WWI widow Margaret (Duncan) Eddie was living here with her children, James and Emma. Margaret was born in Perth, Scotland, and came to Canada with her husband George Findlay in 1910. The Eddie family lived here until the mid-1920s.

By 1927, Frederick, a painter with the BCCSS, and his wife Emma Elizabeth (Price) Burke, were living here. Joseph and Sadie Green lived here during the 1930s. He served with the Naval Reserve during WWI and was later a billiard maker (this was a listed occupation!) and janitor. By 1943, Charles and Annie Williams were the residents. Charles was secretary of the South Island Dairymans Association. Widow Christina MacKinnon was here by 1946, and stayed until 1952.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:

• Map of Victoria Heritage Register Properties

• North Park History

• North Park Heritage Register


• This Old House, Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Three: Rockland, Burnside, Harris Green,
Hillside-Quadra, North Park & Oaklands