Description of Historic Place

The Victoria Hotel is a three-storey building on the corner of Government and Johnson Streets in the northern area of the commercial core in the Old Town District.

Heritage Value

The Victoria Hotel is significant because of the physical contribution it makes to the historic Old Town streetscape. The building is quite altered from its original condition (most of the detail on the façade has been removed), but it has retained elements of architect Thomas Hooper's original design: the large scale form, beveled corner, and fenestration patterns. Built in 1892 as one of the largest hotels in the vicinity, it is the dominant form and prominent position of this three-storey building which make it a considerable historic presence at the corner of Johnson and Government Streets, one of the busiest intersections in the city's commercial core. The rows of storefront and upper storey windows of this building add to the continuity of the historic street wall, and the long Government Street façade provides an intermediate connection between the historic Old Town and Chinatown Districts.

Source: City of Victoria Planning and Development Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Victoria Hotel include:
-the large scale massing at the intersection of Government and Johnson Street;
-the bevelled corner, a typical trait of heritage buildings situated at intersections in Victoria;
-the continuity of the street wall with the surrounding urban fabric, as illustrated by the absence of set-backs;
-the combination of the horizontal and vertical features: the horizontal rhythm and proportions of window openings combined with the vertical elements of the three-storey massing (plus basement), tall windows, and pilasters;
-the brick masonry (underneath the stucco façade) and flat roof;
-the features of the façade such as the wooden windows, sash and pilasters;
-the fenestration patterns on the first front, which are nearly the full height of the first storey.