ARCHITECTURE:
Warburton, a 2½ storey, side-gabled Shingle-style house, is one of Victoria’s foremost examples of this style. There is a tower on the R front corner and a small gabled dormer to its L. The domed tower is octagonal and has windows on four sides, which continue in a band across the jettied attic storey on the right; on the left side is a 2½-storey side-gabled wing. The verandah on the main floor, which was enclosed by 1908, has a pedimented entry; the verandah originally wrapped around the right side to an octagonal gazebo on the far corner. Unusual ceramic plaques on the house include those over the panels between tower and gable windows, one above the verandah of two gryphons facing a stylized lily, and another of a lily on the right attic gable. The irregular form of the house is unified by a continuous skin of plain and patterned shingles. There are no corner boards. The random rubble stone foundation has been painted, as has the later stone veneer on the walls and pediment of the verandah. It has a ribbed brick chimney.
Architect Alfred Bodley (b. Mt Forest, ON 1870) paid the property taxes until 1896. He worked in Toronto with his father Charles, a carpenter, in 1888, was in Victoria from 1891 with his brother, contractor Samuel W. Bodley, but by 1897 was in London, ON, then Toronto. He moved to Seattle, WA, c.1902, in 1904 briefly partnered with John Graham, Sr, and in 1907-08 with the Beezer Brothers.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1892-95: Architect and owner Alfred Bodley (b. Mt Forest, ON 1870-1946) used a 1887 pattern book design from Robert W. Shoppell’s Modern Houses* for “Warburton” built for $4,000 likely by his brother, contractor Samuel Whitman Bodley (b. Mt Forest, ON 1863-1949). Alfred worked in Toronto with his carpenter father Charles in 1888. By 1891 he was living in Victoria with Samuel and family. Both 1032 and 1022-1024 McGregorAv were built in 1892, and Alfred owned both until 1895. He never lived in either house, moving back and forth between here and ON in the 1890s. In 1903 he boarded at 69 Superior St, James Bay with Hattie Bennett (1016 Pemberton Rd). That year he partnered with Samuel Maclure to design Mount Baker Hotel in Oak Bay, then moved to Seattle where he continued his career.
*From research by Jim Wolf
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1896-1930: Dr. Robert “Ford” Verrinder, MD, DDS, LDS, (b. Dane Co, WI, USA 1864-1944) established his dental practice in Victoria in 1888. In 1893 he married Edith Mae (née Harrison, b. Victoria 1871-1959), who grew up at 1321 Fort St(TOH3 p231). His brother Dr. Arthur E. Verrinder, DD came here in 1891 and built 1753 Rockland Av. They shared a practice in Five Sisters Block until 1900 when Dr. Arthur died in San Francisco. In 1901 Verrinders donated a triangular piece of land to City for widening and extending Oak Bay Av to Cadboro Bay Rd, now Fort St. Maj. Dr. R. Ford Verrinder served in Canada and Siberia with CADC attached to 16th Brigade. Edith moved to Vancouver after her husband’s death.
1933-35: Retired E&NR head mechanical engineer Martin “Stanley” Wheatley (b. Burleigh Manor, Epping, Essex, ENG 1863-1935) and Julia Mary Talbot (née Hall,b. Headingly, MB 1868-1936). Stanley worked for CPR 1887-1917. 1937-38: Lionel Albert Hansard (b. London, ENG 1890-1966) married Winifred White (née Clements,
b. Ballymena, IRL 1890-1964) in Alameda, CA in 1912, and came here in 1916. He joined 88th Btn Victoria Fusiliers, CEF and was WIA in France. They returned to Victoria in 1928. He retired from HMC Dockyard, Esquimalt in 1953.
1939-45: George Eagle (b. Lambeth, ENG 1872-1952) married Rebecca (née Key, b. London, ENG 1875-1948) in Battersea in 1897. They came to Canada in 1912, homesteaded in MacKenzie, SK, retired to Victoria in 1936, and lived at 641 Superior St (James Bay) in 1937-38. He was a janitor, fully retiring in 1940.
1946-47: Retired surveyor Joseph Burton Conway(b. Peterborough, ON 1886-1951) and second wife Glyta Evelyn (née Davis, b. Birnamwood, WIS, USA 1896-1973). He went overseas with 4th Btn Canadian Engineers, CEF in 1916.
1948-51: Saanich School Board engineer Archibald “Archie” Harten Wright (b. Lurgan,
IRL 1896-1966) and Maria (née O’Brian, b. Coleraine, IRL 1891-1971) converted the house to a five-suite apartment building.