ARCHITECTURE:
This large, dramatically-sited California Mission Revival-style house has a complex red-tiled roof and is clad in roughcast stucco. The roofline consists of a series of large and small stepped mission-style arched gables. The offset main entrance below a smaller gable leads to a wrap-around verandah. The shed roof of the verandah is supported by huge square paired piers. There are several large three-part round arched windows. On the roof at the SW corner is a square structure which became a suite. There is now a stairway to a large balcony on the rihjt side roof. Along the street frontage is a stone retaining wall. The house was assessed at $8,000 in 1914. The 1913 plumbing permit was signed by Horace N. Palmatier as agent for owner; he was likely working for Rochfort & Sankey. Palmatier is known to have signed as architect on several Victoria houses (427 Arnold Av).
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1913-18: Arthur Levy (b. Seattle 1885-1961) married divorcée Amelia “Violet” Haggart (née Hilbert, b. Leeds, ENG 1880-1947) in Vancouver in 1907. [He was son of Henry Emanuel Levy (b. Wellington, NZ, 1843-1929) and Eva Rostein (b. New York, NY 1882-1946) of 1022 Pemberton Rd. Henry and his brother Joseph (974 Balmoral Rd) were in the restaurant business here from 1869. Arthur’s aunt Ida Rostein was married to Dr. Siegfried M. Hartman, DD (1009 Cook St). Henry was a strong supporter of the construction of Temple Emanu-El Synagogue (1421 Blanshard St, Downtown) in 1863]. Arthur assumed responsibility for the business from his father in 1907 continuing as proprietor of Levy’s Restaurant (1316 Government St, Downtown), and until 1912 gained a reputation for “never closing.” He worked in other restaurants before becoming a salesman. He and Violet lived with his parents and later his widowed mother at 1022 Pemberton before and after living in 2667 Empire St.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1919-75: James McFarland Wood (b. Tamworth, ON 1887-1974) married Marguerita Helena “Rita” (née Cameron, b. Victoria 1892-1975) here in 1910. Jim came here in 1905 finding employment with Lenz & Leiser. In 1908 he established Wood Bros Garage, 836 Fort St, with his brother Jacob, a police constable with the city. Wood Bros Garage and Taxi-cab Co. opened in 1909 at the corner of Wharf and Broughton Sts. He went to Clinton, ON in 1916 where he established a plant transforming Model T Fords into one ton trucks. He sold them until Henry Ford began selling them himself. In 1920 he was a salesman with Begg Motor Co, rising to manager in 1946 when he left to establish J.M. Wood Motors Ltd. at Yates and Cook Sts, a company he operated until his retirement in the mid-1950s. He and Rita then travelled the globe. An avid golfer, Jim was a member of the Uplands, Royal Colwood and Victoria Golf Clubs. He and Rita lived here until their deaths and are both buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.