ARCHITECTURE:
This late British Arts & Crafts house has roughcast stucco walls, a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof, and parapeted gables supported on unusual brackets. The Dereen façade has a full-height gabled extension to the left of the main entrance. There are three wall dormers, two to the left of the gable and one above the entrance. The enclosed entry porch has a flat roof. The Rockland façade has a shed-roofed, two-storey angled bay. Multi-paned wood casement windows are grouped in twos and threes. The prominent parged chimney has a traditional s-curved metal tie bar. The rear has three narrow gabled wall dormers and hip-roofed, square bay extensions to the main body of the house. There is a hip-roofed, double-width garage on the ground floor below the two dormers.
This residence is attributed to Samuel Maclure’s office: at the time he was very ill (he died in 1929), and often left Eric Clarkson in charge; he served as draftsman and partner on some projects. A 1928 VDTimes article announced that Maclure was architect of a Rockland Av house being constructed that year for $15,000. The “details” of 1618 are similar to those of the Harrison house, 3235 Beach Av, Uplands designed by Maclure & Clarkson in 1929. The permit for 1618 is only $8,000, perhaps indicating that the newspaper notice was referring to a contract for two homes. 1602 Rockland Av, also built by Alcorn in 1928 for $8,000, reflects the design influence of Clarkson.
*Research by Jim Wolf
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
Owner: Duncan Rudolph Alcorn (b. Oromocto, NB 1871-1946) and Addie Leila Beatrice (nee Olmstead b Scotchtown, NB 1875-1956) came to Victoria in 1907. Son Capt. Dr. Douglas E Alcorn, RCAMC was a noted Psychiatrist here.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1930-31: Richard Thornley Hall (b. Victoria 1898-1938) married Gwynneth Marie Kathleen (née McPhillips, b. Victoria 1897-1965) in 1926. He was son of pioneer Victoria coal merchant and MLA Richard Hall and Louisa Kinsmen (906 Linden Av, a 1910 Maclure-designed house). Gwynneth was the only daughter of Hon. Albert E McPhillips, Supreme Court justice, and Emily Sophie Davie; she grew up across the street in 1899 Maclure-designed 1603 Rockland Av*. Hall enlisted in CEF in 1916, attached to 15th O/S Brigade CFA Ammunition Column. He was discharged in 1917 so he could join the RFC. After the war he was involved in insurance and securities business.
1931-38: Mary “Aileen” Dennis (b. Regina, SK 1884-1959) paid the taxes. She was the daughter of Col. John Stoughton Dennis, CMG (b. Toronto 1856-1938) and first wife Mary Conroy (b. QC, d.1920). He retired in 1930 and came here with second wife Kate Hunter (b. Kingston, ON) to live with Aileen. [His father was Canada’s first surveyor-general and Deputy Minister of the Interior, Lt.-Col. John Stoughton Dennis (b. Kingston, ON 1820-1885).] Dennis, Jr. was educated at Trinity College School, UC College, and Kingston Military School. From 1872-78 he was Assistant Land Surveyor in MB then until 1882 surveyed HBC’s town lots in Winnipeg, Prince Albert and Edmonton. He was Chief inspector of the Federal Topographical Survey Department of the Interior becoming in 1902 superintendent and chief engineer for CPR irrigation near Calgary. He commanded the Dominion Land Surveyors Intelligence Corps during the 1885 Riel Rebellion. In 1917-18 during WWI Col Dennis was placed in charge of the Canadian section of British-Canadian recruiting mission in the US. In 1919 he was part of the Canadian economic commission and military contingent as well as commissioner of Canadian Red Cross sent to Siberia, responsible for transportation.
1939-41: Horace Plimley (b. Victoria, BC 1895-1985) and Constance Mary Susan (née Michelin, b. London, ENG 1896-1978) married here in 1918. He was the son of bicycle-then-car dealer Thomas Plimley (606 Government St). As a child violinist he performed with Prof Edward G. Wickens’ childrens’ orchestra. He worked for Thomas Plimley Ltd, becoming president-manager when his father died in 1929. The business expanded to Vancouver in 1936. With partners he started Western Equipment Ltd in Victoria in 1947, selling power transmission accessories to the forest industry. The business is now based in Richmond, BC.
1942-48: Eliza Margaret Jones (née Thompson, b. ON 1880-1969) married Dominion Hotel owner Stephen Jones II (b. Clinton, ON 1868-1933), 755-765 Yates St (Downtown; 248 Douglas St, James Bay) in Los Angeles in 1910. His father Stephen Jones I (1817-1893) acquired the hotel in 1876, and Stephen Jones III (b. 1910-1964) continued the tradition. Eliza was a member of IODE.
1949-90: George Sydney “Syd” Meyler Warlow (b. Beds, ENG 1890-1985) married Marguerite Mary (née Smith, b. Montréal 1894-1990) in Montréal in 1919. Warlow served in Army Cyclist Corps in WWI, then transferred to RFC as a Balloon Officer 2. During WWII he was a Flight Lt. in RAF Voluntary Reserve. They engaged architects Birley, Wade & Stockdill to design alterations to the house for $1,500. In 1947-48 they lived at 1765 Rockland Av.