1784 Adanac Street

ARCHITECTURE:

Designed in the Homestead style, this lovely house has a number of eye-catching Queen Anne elements, including a pedimented gable with pent roof, and miniature gables over the front porch and the cutaway octagonal bay. Details include dramatic sunburst brackets, scalloped shingles, and a QA window in the peak, recessed panels, corner boards, chamfered columns, and double front doors.

This late Victorian house, built at a cost of $1,200, has been well restored and maintained; the exterior appears to be almost completely original. An early stone milkhouse still exists on the rear of the property.

ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:

The house was built for dairyman William Joseph Clark (1860-1929) and his wife Jane (Tait, c.1849-1923), who lived here until 1910, when he retired and had 2117 Vancouver St (North Park) built. Bricklayer Arthur Keighley lived here in 1912.

OTHER OCCUPANTS:

Rancher and mason James Henry Fawcett (1865-1922) bought and plumbed the house in 1913. Born in Peterborough, ON, James came to BC with his wife, Rachel Ellen (Fletcher, 1871-1938) and their children in 1908. James died here in 1922, and Rachel continued to reside here with her grown children until her death in 1938.

William John (1871-1946) and Catherine (Seibold, 1886-1980) Talbot were the next occupants. William was born in Woolwich, England. He came to Canada in 1896 to farm in Saskatchewan, where he married Catherine, born in Edenwold near Regina. The Talbots retired to Victoria in 1938. Catherine left the house after William’s death. He was a member of the Canadian Legion. Robert Elphick (1892-1975) and his wife Christina Cranston (Glass, 1907-1966) lived here until the early 1950s. Robert was a butcher born in Sussex, England, and Christina was born in Glasgow, Scotland. They moved here from Banff, AB, in 1944.