Description of Historic Place

Located on the west side of Hampshire Road, north of the intersection with Oak Bay Avenue, the property at 1566 Hampshire Road contains a large Arts & Crafts style residence in Oak Bay, BC.

Heritage Value

1566 Hampshire Road has historical significance for its connection to prominent community member such as C. Elwood Watkins and Mr. Walter Luney.

The house was designed by C. Elwood Watkins, a home-grown architect who honed his skill under the mentorship of Thomas Hooper. Born in 1875 and raised in Victoria, Watkins apprenticed from the age of 15, becoming a partner at the age of 27. In 1909 he opened his own office and became School Architect for the Victoria Board of Education, making his mark as the preeminent school building designer in the area for the next decade.
It was during this period that Watkins designed the residence at 1566 Hampshire Road for Mr. Walter Luney. The home was built by the Luney Bros. for Walter and his family in 1916. Luney Bros. Ltd. was established in Victoria in 1906 by Walter and his brother William, who moved from Toronto in 1885. They quickly established themselves as hard working risk takers who made a significant contribution to the development of Victoria and the surrounding area from their arrival until 1962. Walter Luney himself was an active member of the community serving on many boards and was a founding member of the Victoria Building Industries Exchange - now the Vancouver Island Construction Association. He also served as alderman for the City of Victoria from 1933-37.

Through its architectural form and style, the house at 1566 Hampshire Road has aesthetic value as a fine example of the pre-industrial Arts & Crafts style with a strong Tudor Revival character.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of the house include its:

- Asymmetrical 2 ½ storey plus basement massing
- Hipped roof with gable and hip dormers and decorative wood finials
- Three tall ashlar stone chimneys
- Half-timbering on stucco second level and gable cladding
- Sandstone main floor and foundation walls
- Wood frame windows with diamond-paned leaded glass
- Offset main entrance with the solid wood door and side panels
- Curving bay window with wood frame and leaded glass
- Stone wall bordering the eastern edge of the property