ARCHITECTURE:
This imposing Edwardian Arts & Crafts house is constructed of stone. Its height is exaggerated by its high rocky site, long terraced stairway leading up to the entry, the tall verandah piers and tall chequerwork chimneys. The front façade is rigidly symmetrical. The house has a steeply-bellcast, hipped roof with wide front and rear hip-roofed dormers; there are three smaller dormers on the right side and a large one on the left. The roof is slate with metal ridge caps and cresting coloured red. The dormers are clad in slate. The deep, full-width verandah has three heavy granite arches between the four stone piers which rise all the way to the second-floor balcony. Front windows on the first and second floors are separated by granite pilasters and capped by stone lintels. The balcony and verandah balustrades, and the foundation, walls and chimneys are of random rubble. There are granite quoins on corners, windows and chimneys. The balcony and porte-cochère on the right side is a smaller version of the front verandah and balcony; this balcony is now enclosed. The house, built for $10,000, has a commanding view of the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1913-14: Although the plumbing permit was issued to Haggerty in 1913, the property taxes were paid by chartered accountant Griffith Richard Hughes (b. Pwllheli, WAL 1865-1941) (1050 Joan Cr), who came here in 1907 and bought Victoria Daily Times in 1917. In 1921 he was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling from Spencer’s (1040 Moss St). Architect Ernest Butterfield signed as agent for owner onthe plumbing permit. Improvements are valued at $10,000 on the 1914 assessment. In 1915, John Haggerty paid the taxes.
1913-21: John Haggerty (b. Irvine, SCT 1858-1919) immigrated soon after, and was a boilermaker in 1879 when he married Clara Ollena Brown (b. Victoria 1862-1896) in Nanaimo. In 1880 they were in King Co, WA, USA and John worked as a coal miner. In Victoria in 1882 he was a teamster, but by 1891 he was a housebuilder and contractor. Clara died in childbirth in 1896. In 1903 John married Alice Louise Whittle (b. Portland, OR 1867-1922). Until 1913 they lived at 1140 Fort St which John built in 1907. John died here in 1919, and Alice lived in the house until 1921.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1923-24: Widower Harry J. Beach (b. Toddington, Glos, ENG 1888-1981) of Beach-Eakins, manufacturers of jams and jellies. He married Jean Adams Osborn, a nurse with Victoria School Board in 1925. He later worked for Holsum Products pickle mfrs.
1924-26: “Rocklands Academy” principal Alexander Gordon Smith (b. Huntly, SCT 1880-1952) and Delphia Mary Jane (née Smith, b. Victoria 1887-1971). He ran a day and boarding school for boys in the house, affiliated with Sprott-Shaw Institute business school.
1927-28: Principal Ina Duncan Dewar Uhthoff, Dip GSA (née Campbell, b. Kim Donoon, Argyll, SCT 1889-1971) and her Victoria School of Art.
1929-30: Lt-Col (Ret’d) Thomas “Fraser” Homer-Dixon, DSO (b. Toronto 1871-1948) and Evelyn Anne (née Cameron, b. Rat Portage [Kenora from 1905] ON 1885-1965) (1015 Moss St). His father was Ben Homer-Dixon, Consul General of Netherlands. A noted horsewoman, her father was Hon. Sir Douglas Cameron, Lt-Gov of MB 1911-16.
1931: Headmistress Miss E.F. Roberts, LLA, and Sefton College, boarding and day school for girls.
1935-43: Resident proprietor Mary Elizabeth “May” Cherry (1195 Fort St) converted it to six suites, known as Manor Mansion Apts. She managed a number of converted Rockland mansions: 1195 Fort St in 1928-34, 1320 Rockland Av in 1944-46, 834 Pemberton Rd in 1947-49 and 1337 Rockland Av in 1951-55. She lived at 1141 Fort St in 1925-27.
1947-c.60: Retired hotel operator Joseph Stephen Perry (b. Sharron, MA, USA 1886-1955) and Mattie Ella (née Randall, b. E Bolton, QC 1879-1963) were proprietors of Manor Apts and lived in #2.
Tenants: 1935-51: BC Lands Dept civil servant Harold Augustus Tomalin (b. Yorks, ENG 1890-1984) married physical training instructor Mona Galloway (née Miller, b. Victoria 1901-1990) in 1935; they moved in here in September after returning from their wedding trip. Harold’s mother Elizabeth lived at 1195 Fort St from 1936-52.
1945-52: BC Lands DeptADM George Payson Melrose (b. St. John, NB 1892-1956) and Amy Sarah Harris married in 1936. George came here in 1921; he married to Agnes Lavinia (née Lombard b. 1890-1935) in Missoula, MT, USA in 1915. He worked 34 years for Aluminum Co of Canada.
1946-c.65: Janet “Jennie” Tait (b. Liverpool, ENG 1875-1968) came to Victoria in 1911 and worked first as a waitress. She retired in 1945 after 21 years as housekeeper at Government House (1401 Rockland Av).