ARCHITECTURE:
This house, prominently located at the top of Queens Av, is cubical Italianate, but without the characteristic brackets. It has two storeys, a hipped roof and is clad in drop siding. The main floor has two small hip roofs over an angled bay on the left, and an open entry porch on the right. The porch has two chamfered square posts and turned balusters. Vertical siding covers the foundation. In 1997-98 it was extensively restored by Sahasi Erven, and an addition was built at the rear of the house. The asphalt siding and aluminum windows were removed, and new one-over-one wood windows were used instead the original two-over-twos.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
Owners: 1892-1906: Walter Charles Nathan (b. London, ENG, 1860-1894) bought two lots in 1886-87; his father and siblings came here in 1890. They built the corner store in 1890, and in 1891-92, two similar houses, 2213 Spring and 1252 Denman St, Fernwood, (see for more property and family history) on either side of the store, all sharing the two lots. His brother William Henry Nathan (1851-1925) was a carpenter and likely constructed the buildings. After Walter’s death, the properties passed to his father Edward Owe Nathan (1823-1906). William Nathan was the sole survivor by 1906 [one sister, Harriet Clara, had died aged 30 in the Point Ellice Bridge disaster], and he sold the two lots.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1906: J.A. Dees, who subdivided and sold this house.
1907-08: Albert Veysey Lang designed and built houses in Saanich, including his own home Morello at 3867 Carey Rd, a Heritage-Registered house.
1909-16+: Bookkeeper Sidney Charles Thomson (b. London, ENG, 1880-1958) and Vigurlena Valgerdue “Lena” (b. USA 1886) married in Victoria in 1905. Lena’s parents Johann and Anna Breidfjord/Bradford were Icelanders who came to Canada in 1878. Sidney retired in 1954 as manager of a Prince Rupert wholesale produce company. A veteran of the Boer War and WWI, he was a member of AF&AM and IOOF.
Tenants: 1893: Thomas Prior and Mrs. Prior, likely his mother.
1894: Whybert John Hall and Charles Edward Copeland, a mattress maker at Sehl, Hastie & Erskine Co. Charles was born in Victoria in 1875 to Solomon and Didamia Ann Copeland.
1895-97: Didamia/Dademin/Diana Copeland.
1899-1900: Carpenter Russell Herbert and Catherine Gardner from Nova Scotia married in Victoria in 1890. They moved to Nanaimo, then Vancouver, where Russell manufactured soap for 15 years until retiring in 1944.
1901-03: Farmer and carpenter Charles Edmond and Malinda Jane Thomas.
1903-06: Carpenter and builder George and Jessie Heather and family: Victor Garfield, a labourer; Guy Gillam and Emily Amanda both worked for taxidermist Fred Foster at 42½ Johnson St. Guy became a furrier, and later owned G.G. Heather Co in Vancouver.
1910-13: Baldwin and Gertrude “Riney” Goodman emigrated from Iceland in 1888. Baldwin was a labourer for the City of Victoria, and by 1901 their sons Andrew, James and Arthur were labourers. By 1912 James was Victoria City Water Works foreman.
1914-16: Frederick William and Ida Mae Doherty. Fred was a City Engineering Department labourer, then an employee of BC Electric.
Owners: 1922-97: Truck driver John William “J.W.” Dee (b. Cumberland, BC, 1899-1987) and Marion (née Watson) married in Victoria in 1922. He was the son of miner John and Margaret “Maggie” Dee. J.W. was still living with his family at 1253 Walnut St when he signed up for the CEF in 1916; he was already a member of the militia, the 50th Gordon Highlanders. 1924-34: J.W. Dee’s (step?) sister Margaret Ann Williams (1891-1977) and her husband Albert Stone (1891-1985), a BCER operator. J.W. was not listed from 1924-28, but in 1929 he was living with the Stones. By 1935 the Stones had moved out, and J.W. and his next wife, Hollyann “Holly” Lacoursiere, lived here. Holly continued to live in the house until c.1993, when she moved into a care home. Their son Allen Dee sold the house in 1997.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:
• This Old House, Victoria’s Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume One: Fernwood & Victoria West