Description of Historic Place

Perry House is a single storey wood framed house built in 1940 located on the west side of North Fraser Drive in West Quesnel, BC. The historic place includes the building and the parcel of land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Perry House is valued for its historic association with the people who shaped the development of Quesnel. The historic place was built in 1940 and is located in West Quesnel which developed as a rural community with small houses and family farms.

This house has been owned by several pioneering families. The house was first purchased by Lyla Baker from J. Pentland in 1940. The Baker and Pentland families are recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with streets named in their honour.

The house is named for Amy (Hawkins) Perry. In 1919, Amy married Hugh Perry in Quesnel. Hugh was known locally as 'Henry'. The couple spent their first night as husband and wife aboard the Barnard Express boat. The Barnard Express, known as the BX, began in 1864 by Francis Barnard to deliver mail, people and supplies. It was the longest single stage line on the continent. As travel technology improved, the express expanded to include steamboats which moved freight and people along the Fraser River. Henry and Amy lived outside of Quesnel. When Henry died in 1941, Amy moved to this house. The Perry family is recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with a street named in their honour.

The house was later sold to Nicoli Ross. Nicoli was born in 1886 in Russia and arrived in Quesnel in 1925. He drove a horse scraper on road crews for the Department of Public Works, farmed on his property, and peeled logs that were used for telephone poles. Nicoli was good friends with Duncan Campbell and he boarded with the Campbell family while they lived in tents during the construction of their log house on Murphy Street. Sometime in the 1930s, Nicoli mined for gold along the river and had a bit of success during the second gold boom of 1933-1934. His last job he had was maintaining the lawn at the airport until his retirement in 1966.

Nicoli sold the house to Paul Gustav Miller. Paul arrived in Quesnel in 1924 only to leave and return again three years later. Paul was known locally as 'P. G'. While he was employed by the Government Telegraph, P.G. installed the switchboard for Quesnel Light, Water and Telephone Company at the old power plant. His first wife was Minnie Marsh who unfortunately died at a young age. Sometime later, Paul met and married his second wife Elizabeth LeBrun.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Perry House include its:

- remaining original form;
- excellent representation of West Quesnel dwellings;
- unique contribution to the streetscape;
- single storey wood frame building;
- central entrance and steeply pitched gable roof;
- bracketed eaves;
- building materials which give the house a unique appearance and warm texture;
- positive contribution to the buildings along this area of North Fraser Drive that are of similar scale, proportion and style;
- heavily framed windows.