Description of Historic Place

The historic place is a single-storey, wood-frame house, built in 1923 and located at 1730 Ethel Street, in Kelowna's South Central neighbourhood.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 1730 Ethel Street is derived primarily from its largely unaltered appearance as a characteristic example of a simple builder-contractor's house, constructed in the active inter-war growth period in Kelowna. There is value as well in the association with its builders, who presumably erected many more houses of this type.

The modest house was built in 1923 by Dore and Ryan, prominent Kelowna builders, for Emma Davis. It is representative of the straightforward approach to builders' architecture at the time, devoid of details relating to historical styles. The eave brackets and the 'woody' quality are vestiges of the Craftsman Bungalow, but the house has been simplified from that prototype of the previous decade.

The house was apparently 'revenue' property, as Emma Davis did not reside here. By 1937 Davis's agent, lawyer T.F. McWilliams, who had signed the building permit, was listed as the owner, but he too resided elsewhere. The house represents the use of residential real estate for investment purposes, and not as a primary home.

By 1948, the house was owned and occupied by Gus A. and Elsie E. Arndt. Gus Arndt was superintendent at the Kelowna Creamery. In 1956, it was owned and occupied by Carl W. and Angelica Gahn; Carl Gahn was retired at that time.

Source: City of Kelowna Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of 1730 Ethel Street include its:
- location on Ethel Street, in Kelowna's South Central neighbourhood
- residential form, scale and massing, as expressed by its one-storey height and rectangular plan
- medium-pitched gabled roof with deep eaves and wood eave brackets
- central entrance porch with a gabled roof, deep eaves, wood eave brackets, and triple wood columns at the corners
- three brick chimneys
- wood shingle walls and entrance gable
- six-over-one, double-hung, wood-sash windows with plain, wide wood trim
- central door flanked by small, fixed, four-pane windows with wide wood trim