ARCHITECTURE:
This two-storey, side-gabled gambrel-roofed house, rare here, has an unusual gambrel gable on its symmetrical front façade. That gable has a semicircular window above three six-light windows. There are two shingled, shed-roofed dormers with shingled balconies either side of the front gable. Both balconies sit on the verandah roof. The roofline of the verandah continues around the sides as a belt course. The full-width verandah has six heavy Tuscan columns and an almost-Eastlake-style balustrade. There are stepped balustrades on either side of the wide front stairs which lead up to the Colonial Revival-style doorway with fanlight and sidelights. Two full-height brick chimneys are located on the left and right sides of the house. The house is clad in shingles. A house on this property was listed in DCV in 1903 at $2,000 for Arthur Holmes Pigott (1868-1932), called Belvedere Cottage. However, the sketch for Williams’ house is in DCV in 1912.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1912-20: William “Billy” Thwaites Williams (b. Leeds, Yorks, ENG 1867-1931) married Jean Schoff MacKay (née Orr, b. Battleford, SK 1886-1923) in Duncan, BC in 1912. He was son of Benjamin (1828-1884) and Elizabeth Williams (née Spencer 1832-1892), who was sister of David Spencer (1040 Moss St). From c.1882-1910 Benjamin, Sr, then Billy ran B. Williams & Co, “Gents’ Furnishings, Clothiers, Hatters & General Outfitters,” for some years outfitting Klondike gold seekers. Billy lived for 10 years with siblings Benjamin, a realtor, Mary, a teacher, and Alice, a nurse, in 1007 Linden Av, and previously at their family home, Poplar Cottage, 10 Bellot St (later 1022 Burdett Av, demo’d 1971). Billy moved here after marriage, and built 1377 Rockland Av for his sisters. By 1912 he was president of City Land C and by 1917, manufacturer of NAG paint, stain and varnish. He was a longtime member of Victoria Golf Club and Arion Male Voice Choir.
Jean came here at 19 to study nursing at RJH School of Nursing, and became head operating nurse. In 1924 Billy married again, Hilda Edith L. Johnson (1877-1959). Pallbearers at his funeral were prominent Victoria businessmen: cousins Chris Spencer (649 Government St) and J.W. Spencer (1045 Joan Cr), and furniture retailer Frank J. Sehl, fellow Arion Choir bass (2411 Wark St).
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1920-23: Senator Patrick “Pat” Burns (b. Oshawa, ON 1856-1937), Alberta businessman (Burns Meats and Bow Valley Ranche (sic)) married ranchers’ daughter Eileen Louisa Frances Anna (née Ellis, b. Penticton, BC 1873-1923) in 1901 [her parents retired to Victoria (101 Gorge Rd E)]. In 1900-03, he built the $40,000 Francis M. Rattenbury-designed house Burns Manor in Calgary. Burns was one of the Big Four cattlemen (A.E. Cross, 1595 Rockland Av) who, for $100,000 in 1912, funded and organized the first Calgary Stampede.
1924-25: Lt.-Col. Arthur Leslie Jacob, CSI, CIE, OBE (b. Poona, IND 1870-1944) and Jenny Coke (née Mickleburgh, b. Toronto 1874-1956). He was Sec of Argenta Mines.
1925-36: Laura Martin Fraser (née Clinton, b. San Francisco 1873-1958), widow of BMO manager James Fraser (1715 Rockland Av). They married in New Westminster in 1903 and moved from Rossland to Victoria in 1912. When she died, Laura was living at Mount St. Mary, 999 Burdett Av [the wall remains and is Heritage Designated].
1937-38: Adolph Viggo Rudolf “Huno” von Holstein-Rathlou (b. Odder, Jutland, DEN 1881-1957) married Helena Desire (née Roy, b. Rhode Is, USA 1895-1983) here in 1913, then left to farm in Prince Albert, SK. They divorced, and in 1948 he married Gudrun Marie Madsen (b. DEN 1910-1994)
1939: Cmdr. Maurice Adrian Wood, RCN (b. Cowichan Bay, BC 1898-1971) married Mabel Richmond (née Cotton, b. USA 1903-1995) (1502 Regents Pl) here in 1926. Wood graduated from Royal Naval College of Canada, Halifax, NS, in 1916. He served in RN ships during WWI returning to Canada in 1938 to take command of HMCS Armentieres then HMCS Nootka. In 1939 he served on Staff of Commanding Officer Pacific Coast as the first Anti-Submarine Officer, RCN and in 1944 in HMCS Chatham as Naval Officer-in-Charge Prince Rupert, BC. He retired here in 1946.
1940-44: Retired CPR conductor William John Nelson (b. Toronto 1866-1942) and Annie McDiarmid (née Hall, b. Louisville, KY, USA 1885-1975).
1947-49: Chartered accountant Cecil Warren Nicholl, OBE (b. Belfast, IRL 1896-1959) and Marian (née Florentino). A veteran of both wars, he was awarded his OBE in 1943 for valuable public service while serving RAF Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He established his accountancy business in Vancouver, moved here in 1944 but continued to commute to his mainland office.
1952-64: Retired Galiano Is pioneer farmers Max Enke (b. Manchester, ENG 1884-1971) married Marion (née Lejeune, b. Chorlton, ENG 1879-1961) in Québec City in 1907. They lived in Oak Bay in 1921, then moved to Belgium where he had family property. Max was interned by the Nazis in 1940 and spent 1940-45 in civilian internment camps in Belgium and Germany. Marian had left earlier. The Enke Monument (the Bluffs) was erected in 1972 by the residents of Galiano Is in their memory.
1955: 428 became 528 St. Charles St.
1970s: this was the Olinda Nursery School.