Description of Historic Place

571-577 Johnson Street is a two storey brick commercial building located on the south side of lower Johnson Street. Its segmented-arch upper-storey windows are crowned by a corbelled cornice featuring a floral motif.

Heritage Value

Constructed in 1899, this two-storey parged brick commercial building provides an important physical contribution to lower Johnson Street, which is characterized by two- and three-storey brick Italianate commercial buildings, and a network of historic passageways and courtyards. Surviving key elements of its historic design, such as the upper-storey fenestration pattern and a decorative cornice, contribute to the visual interest and the late nineteenth century character of this historic streetscape.

The historic association of 571-577 Johnson Street with F.E. Newberger's gunsmith shop - Newberger owned this building for a number of years, and operated his gunsmith’s shop from this location - illustrates the diversity of the commercial endeavours which made this area one of the city's most important commercial districts, which catered to the needs of gold rush miners and locals alike in the late nineteenth century.

Source: City of Victoria Planning and Development Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of 571-577 Johnson Street include:
- Its relationship to Johnson Street and to the Klondike-era courtyard at rear.
- It rear façade, which marks the northern perimeter of the Klondike courtyard.
- Its two-storey scale.
- Its upper-storey fenestration pattern, with six two-over-two wood sash windows capped by inverted-U hoods.
- Its decorative cornice with floral medallions and decorative brickwork.
- Surviving elements of the original storefronts including its physical arrangement and joinery.
- Commercial storefronts at street level.