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Kitchin Residence

3577 McInnis Rise, Saanich, British Columbia, V8P, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1997/11/03

Exterior view of the Kitchin Residence.; Derek Trachsel, District of Saanich, 2004.
Oblique view.
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Other Name(s)

Kitchin Residence
Kitchen House
Chorley House
Kitchen Residence

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1934/01/01 to 1935/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2004/10/29

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Kitchin Residence is a two-and-one-half storey British Arts and Crafts style house built of granite masonry. It sits high atop a hill in the Quadra area of Saanich.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of this house lies in its construction and design. This 1930s house reflects the workmanship and design talent of Arthur Stewart. Noted as one of B.C.'s top contemporary stoneworkers, Stewart made significant masonry contributions to such B.C. landmarks and monuments as the Empress Hotel and the Cenotaph in Vancouver. The construction material of this house is significant, because the granite was quarried on-site by Stewart. The house is an excellent example of the British Arts and Crafts Style of house construction. Its eclectic mixture of design elements and materials make it an exceptional Canadian version of its style. Its beautiful interior included features such as fir and hardwood floors, varnished fir trim throughout, bevelled glass, alcoves for statues, French doors into the huge living room, sunroom, massive kitchen, completely black and white tiled master bathroom, and huge walk-in closets. The surviving interior and exterior features are significant as a representation of a gracious lifestyle of the 1930s.

The heritage value of Kitchin Residence is also associated with its development within its neighbourhood context. Quadra, located directly north of the Victoria-Saanich border, is a large urban neighbourhood created from subdivisions of its early farms. Much of the south part of Quadra was originally W.F. Tolmie's Cloverdale Farm, just one of the large farms in the area cut from the forest by the 1850s. Tolmie was a prominent local surgeon, Hudson's Bay Company officer, politician and major early landowner in this area of Saanich. The Canadian Northern Pacific Railway ran a service from Victoria to Sidney through the area from 1915 to 1935; their spur line ran until 1990, and is now used as a regional trail.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, District of Saanich

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Kitchen Residence include its:
- form, scale and massing
- location atop granite bedrock and boulders
-all granite masonry attributable to Arthur Stewart, including exterior masonry, retaining walls and other complementary structures on the site
- British Arts and Crafts elements, such as arched wooden-sash windows with leaded glass, asymmetrical design, numerous gables, masonry cladding and rolled roof-edges with vented tips along gable ends
- conservatories
- surviving interior features contemporary to the original construction of the house, such as the woodwork and superior craftsmanship

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

1997/11/03

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Residence
Single Dwelling

Historic

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Arthur Stewart

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Heritage Planning Files, District of Saanich

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DcRu-779

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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