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Bide-A-Wee House

1538 Beach Drive, Oak Bay, British Columbia, V8R, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2004/03/08

Exterior view of Bide-A-Wee, 2004; Liberty & Co. Liberty Walton, 2004.
East elevation
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Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1922/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/02/22

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Bide-A-Wee is a two-storey waterfront house located on Beach Drive overlooking "Oak Bay" in the District of Oak Bay.

Heritage Value

Bide-A-Wee is important to Oak Bay as the home of Mrs. J. D. Helmcken, widow of Dr. James Douglas Helmcken, a well-known doctor in Victoria son of J.S. Helmcken and grandson of Sir James Douglas. Built in 1922 to replace the family's summer cottage, this home is representative of Oak Bay's transition from sea-side village to suburban bedroom community.

The architectural value of this house lies in its design by the well-known architect Samuel Maclure. The house is important as an example of Maclure's domestic architecture in the American Arts and Crafts genre as illustrated by the detailing (half-timbering and stucco) of the exterior and the formal spaciousness (and fine plasterwork) of the interior. The close proximity of the house to the water and as part of a grouping of homes of similar age, contributes to the character of the Beach Drive streetscape.

Source: Oak Bay Heritage Register

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Bide-A-Wee include:
- Views between the house and the waterfront.
- Restrained stucco and half-timbering exterior.
- Steeply-pitched roofline with front-facing gables and tall chimneys.
- Original floor plan with a central staircase, outside porches and spacious reception rooms.
- Historic interior detailing such as the fireplaces with mantles and tiles, the plasterwork on the ceiling, and the large picture windows dating from the Helmcken residence in the house (1922 to 1950s).
- Historic garden pathway and close proximity of the house to the street.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

2004/03/08

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

Samuel Maclure

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay.

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DcRt-168

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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