ARCHITECTURE:
This rambling, one-storey, Italianate Villa-style house is hip-roofed, with many gables and wide, bracketed eaves. There is a gabled dormer on the L side, and a hip-roofed verandah beneath a wide gable; the verandah has turned and bracketed posts supported on the balustrade rail. The rear façade, facing the Gorge, has a hip-roofed angled bay at the front of a gabled wing. The right side wing has front and rear gabled extensions. The right rear corner has a wrap-around porch, with square bracketed posts and no balustrade. The front façade has a projecting, flat-roofed entrance porch below a bracketed gable with an oculus in the centre. Right of the entrance is a large, hip-roofed box bay. This façade has large two-over-two double-hung sashes. The stuccoed walls are scored to resemble stone blocks. The trim is of wood; most corners have capped corner boards to resemble pilasters. There are a number of corbelled brick chimneys, three of which are split-stack. The house is set in its original garden with many native trees, but also an old Sequoiadendron giganteum, a giant sequoia, a reminder of Victoria’s California connections at the time. There is an elaborate reproduction picket fence punctuated by wooden gateposts with turned finials. This is one of Victoria’s oldest houses, completed in 1861 and designed by Victoria architects Wright & Sanders, the first practising architects on the West Coast.
*Teague, Smith & Clarke research by Dorothy Mindenhall
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1860-67: Although it is known primarily for the O’Reilly family, it was actually built on Hillside Farm property for Catherine “Kate” Work ** (b. Fort Simpson 1842-1869), daughter of John and Susette “Josette” Work, when she married Charles Wentworth Wallace (b. Halifax, NS 1837-1891) in 1861 in the Iron Church. Charles came to the Pacific Coast in 1853 and came up from CA to manage the business of Dickson, Campbell & Co, commission merchants. He then went into coal mining, possibly at the N end of the island, and owned a steamboat. He went bankrupt, likely sold the mine to Kate’s brother John in 1868, and became an employee of HBC at Fort Rupert. Kate and their daughter, Eliza Jane (1864-1924) moved back to Hillside Farm in 1867 with Kate’s widowed mother; Kate died there. Eliza Jane married Edward Blackwood in 1888 (911 Linden Av, Rockland). Her father Charles remarried in 1872 in San Francisco to Emma Clara Webster (1850-1896); at the time of his death he was a bookkeeper for Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH).
** Work Family Research by descendant Pam Gaudio
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1867-1974: Peter and Caroline O’Reilly moved into the house in December 1867, purchasing it in January 1868 for $2,500. Peter O’Reilly (b. Ince, Ches, ENG 1827-1905) was educated at Trinity College in Dublin. After serving with Royal Irish Constabulary, he came to Canada, arriving here in 1859. Gov. James Douglas appointed him Colony Gold Commissioner, as well as Justice of the Peace, Stipendiary Magistrate, Collector of Revenue, Assistant Commissioner of Lands, Indian Agent, and Coroner. From 1862-71 he was appointed to the mainland Legislative Council. He also served as County Court Judge in Yale District from mid-1860s until retiring in 1881. Sir John A. MacDonald appointed him Indian Reserve Commissioner from 1880-98, and under the influence of Joseph Trutch, first Lt-Gov of BC (601 Trutch St, Fairfield), he laid out up to 600 Indian Reserves.
Peter married Trutch’s sister, Caroline Agnes (b. Hammersmith, ENG 1831-1899) at Christ Church Cathedral in 1863; they lived in New Westminster briefly before coming here. The O’Reillys had four children: Francis “Frank” Joseph (1866-1941), Charlotte “Kathleen” (1867-1945), Mary Augusta (1869-1876), and Arthur John “Jack” (1873-1946). Mary was ill most of her life. Caroline died in Kent, ENG and was buried in Folkestone.
Frank was educated in England as a civil engineer. After working briefly at Esquimalt, he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to work on the Great Southern Railway. From 1892-1906 he was a surveyor in the Kootenays, BC. After returning here he established Cross & Co, Gen Agts, Real Est, Timber, Lands & Mines with Charles T. Cross (809 Linden Av, Rockland). Their office was in Belmont Building (600-620 Humboldt St), which he and his siblings were instrumental in constructing as major owners. Cross & Co later went into finance and insurance. Frank was provincial land surveyor for Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands. He travelled to the USA and Europe frequently; in 1914 in Italy, he married Jessie Carmichael Blakiston (b. London, ENG 1886-1963), daughter of explorer and ornithologist Capt. Thomas Wright Blakiston (1832-1891). Frank came back with his new wife, but hard financial times resulted in marriage breakup.
Kathleen O’Reilly cared for her siblings after her parents died. She was educated at Angela College (923 Burdett Av, Fairfield) and Lady Murray’s finishing school, London, England from 1883-85. She never married, although she had many suitors. In her letters she said she could not bear to leave home. In the 1890s, Capt. Harry Athole Scudamore-Stanhope, future Earl of Chesterfield, proposed to her. Another suitor was Antarctic explorer Capt. Robert Scott. Kathleen took part in the various high-society activities Victoria had to offer. In 1897 she was presented to Lord Lieut. and Lady Countess Cadogan in Dublin, IRL. RBCM owns the dress she wore.
Jack left home aged 9 with his sister and mother to complete his education in England at Uppingham School. Back here he apprenticed with Drake, Jackson & Helmcken. He was called to the bar in 1898 and later went into partnership with William Charles Moresby, KC (b. New Westminster, BC 1876-1963). During WWI, Jack was a RN sub-lieutenant, then transferred to RN Air Service as an observer, finishing as a Major. By the late 1930s Jack and brother Frank had a real estate insurance business.
Jack married Mary Beresford Windham (b. Lorne, MB 1886-1963) at St Peters Church, Norf, ENG in 1914. Son John Windham (1920-95) was born in this house. Jack and Mary lived here until their deaths. John married Inez Louise Elson (b. Parkhill, ON 1922-2005), one of Canada’s first female licensed private detectives. Instrumental in preventing demolition of Point Ellice House in the late 1960s, John and Inez took up residence and converted it into a museum.
1974-present: The BC Government bought the house and most of its contents, accumulated over the previous 110 years. The O’Reillys moved out and continued as volunteers in the heritage movement with Hallmark Heritage Society (HHS) and Craigdarroch Castle.
* Research on Work Family by Pam Gaudio, descendant.