19 nor complete,” heritage buff Nick Russell says in his book, Glorious Victorian Homes. Wright and Sanders only stayed together in Victoria for eight years before returning to San Francisco, where they built many mansions that were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. As a result, surviving examples of their finest work — such as Point Ellice House, Carr House, and Ross Bay Villa — are in Victoria. The B.C. capital has preserved many historic buildings, something Russell attributes to a Victoria mayor of the 1970s and 1980s, the late Peter Pollen. A legacy of that is a heritage registry that contains more than 900 entries. Heritage Homes You Can Visit A few heritage houses in the city are open to the public. However, days and hours vary widely. So check before setting out. Ross Bay Villa, 1490 Fairfield Rd. (rossbayvilla.org), was built in 1865 and is one of the dozen oldest Victoria homes still standing. It survives only because dedicated volunteers rescued it from demolition in the late 1990s and restored it to its original state. Helmcken House, 638 Elliot St., was built in 1852-53 for Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, the colony’s first physician who was one of three negotiators for B.C.’s entry into Canada in 1871. Helmcken was also the son-in-law of Sir James Douglas, regarded as the founder of Fort Victoria and Father of B.C. Wentworth Villa, 1156 Fort St. (wentworthvilla.com), was built in the spring and summer of 1863, also it is believed from a Wright and Sanders design. Emily Carr House, 207 Government St. (emilycarr.com), was the childhood home of Victoria’s most celebrated artist. Now owned by the people of B.C., Carr House is a national and provincial historic site. Point Ellice House, 2616 Pleasant St. (pointellicehouse.com), was built for steamboat and coal mine operator Charles Wallace and his wife, Catherine Work, in 1862. Wright and Sanders designed the original wing. Heritage Views from the Sidewalk To view heritage homes from the street, Russell recommends “some very fine mansions” along Rockland Avenue. “They’re not all visible from the streets, but if you drive slowly and peek through fences, you can see some wonderful buildings,” Russell adds. By foot, it’s a bit of a hike but still worth the trek. The nearby Fairfield neighborhood is renowned for its arts-and-crafts homes. “Fairfield was developed virtually entirely in the beginning of the 20th century,” Russell says. “It was marshland up till then. Then it was drained and subdivided, and they put up all these fine heritage, historic houses in the arts and crafts style — California bungalows.” Closer to downtown, “Wharf Street is wonderful,” Russell says. It even has a pair of brick buildings that served as stores during the 1858 Gold Rush. One of the buildings contains the original water well of the Hudson’s Bay Company fort. In recent years, the abandoned buildings were often called “Northern Junk” because a junk dealer once occupied them. But Russell considers that a slur and prefers the name, Gold Rush Warehouses. “Along the water’s edge there are a number of big iron rings that were used by ships to tie up,” says Russell, author of Victoria Then and Now: Postcards from the Past. Heading north, Wharf becomes Store Street, which also features many historic buildings including a “magnificent” one that was until recently home to Capital Iron.
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