ARCHITECTURE
Highwood has seen many renovations over its long life. Early archival photos show a symmetrical two-storey, hip-roofed, brick Italianate house with shallow eaves, stone quoining and paired front gables over first-floor angled bays with balustraded balconets. Abalustraded deck across the entire front was removed. The bays and original arched entry remain. The front gables are gone and the eaves were widened. On the R side was a full-width balustraded verandah, later converted to a conservatory, then removed. There is now a one-storey hip-roofed wing on the right rear corner. A number of one-and two-storey, hip-roofed wings were added to the left side, shingle and brick with quoins. The left wing became one-storey with attached carport. The entire house was covered with roughcast stucco, leaving only the brick chimneys, although the original stacks were corbelled and channelled. The Colonist in 1889 listed $6,000 in improvements for owner William Ward. The surrounding grounds were infilled, changing its street address from Moss St to Gillespie Pl. Highwood played an important part in the social life of Victoria for many years. As the official residence of the powerful Bank of British Columbia, it first housed manager William C. Ward. However, the street acquired its name from a succeeding manager, George Gillespie.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1869-95: William Curtis Ward (b. Winchester, ENG 1842-1922) married Lydia (née Sothcott, b. Portsea Is, Hants, ENG 1847-1920) in 1864 then boarded the SS Sierra Nevada for Victoria. Lydia joined him in 1865. By 1866 he was manager of the Bank of BC, a position he held until 1895 when he became inspector. In 1897 he moved to London, ENG as superintendent of the Bank of BC. He and Lydia returned here in 1914 and resided in the Dunsmuir residence, Westover, 1525 Shasta Pl Ward suffered from ill health and after Lydia’s death went to California hoping to recover. He died there and is buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1896-1935: George Gillespie (b. Staten Island, NY, 1851-1921) and Florence Adelaide (née Hebden, b. Hamilton, ON 1858-1939) moved in after 1896 alterations by Tiarks. Gillespie, son of Scottish immigrants, came to Victoria in 1877 and married Adelaide in 1879 in Wentworth, ON. They had eight children. A relative, Sir Robert Gillespie founded the Bank of BC in 1862; George began as a teller with the bank, eventually becoming general manager, a position he retained when the Canadian Bank of Commerce took the over the Bank in 1901. He retired in 1909 and died of heart failure in 1921.
Adelaide remained here with son Dugald until 1935. She died in New Westminster. Dugald Llewellyn Gillespie (1885-1981) married Marguerite “Madge” Louise Bury (née Holden, b. Victoria 1890-1953) in 1916. He later married Elizabeth Joan (née Robertson 1916-2000). He was educated in Victoria and at the Loretto School near Edinburgh, SCT, with his brothers. They all served overseas during WWI. Dugald returned to Victoria and in the mid-1920s was managing director of MacKay & Gillespie. After 1935 he moved to Toronto and became president and managing director of Distillers Co of Canada. He retired to Victoria and engaged in philanthropic activities. Gillespie Rd in Sooke is named for the family who donated land in East Sooke for the Sisters of St. Ann retreat Glenairlie.
The eldest Gillespie sons, John Hebden “Heb” and Alexander “Al” married sisters Mai and Nellie, daughters of J.H. and Rosanna Todd (924 Johnson St, Harris Green TOH3 p54, 1525 Shasta Pl, Rockland TOH3 p231; 1972 Fairfield Rd, Gonzales TOH4). Youngest son Errol Pilkington Gillespie (1893-1988) married Beatrice Lydia “Catharine” Oliver (1897-1974), granddaughter of W.C. and Lydia Ward. In 2008 their grandson Bruce Gillespie designated 865 Academy Cl.
1935-50: Mary Elizabeth Palmer (née Packard, b. Wisconsin 1864-1950), widow of Edmund James Palmer (b. USA 1856-1924), whom she married in 1879. They came to BC in 1889, where Edmund was associated with Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Co in Chemainus until his death. Mary had also lived in Vancouver and Toronto.
1951-68: Hon. Gordon Sylvester Wismer (b. Sutton, ON, 1888-1968) and Dorothy “Dot” Isabel (née Hillhouse, b. Shelburne, ON 1904-1993) lived briefly at 1521 Shasta Pl. He moved to Vancouver in 1907 and Victoria in 1946. He began practising law in 1913 and by 1922 had his own firm. He became one of BC’s best known criminal lawyers. He was elected Liberal MLA for Vancouver Centre in 1933, and in 1937 became BC’s attorney general, a position he held until 1952. As AG, he disbanded the BC Police Force in 1950, shifting the responsibilities to the RCMP. After politics, he practised law until retiring in 1960.