Description of Historic Place

Eastman House was originally a gable-roofed, 500 square foot home. It had two rooms with a lean-to kitchen in the rear. This very small home, without the deteriorated lean-to kitchen, was preserved as a small front wing of a much larger, sensitively designed, new home, built in 1990 to the rear of the property, and joined carefully to the original home by a small hallway with a new front door.

Heritage Value

Eastman House is valued as the smallest home in Oak Bay, built of wood-frame construction in 1892-93. The house is representative of homes of many early residents who were of modest circumstances. Fannie Eastman was a washerwoman. Her son, Samuel, was a coachman, who later married into the Winter family. The Winter family were Victoria's pre-eminent operators of horse drawn coaches, including transportation for Government House.
This house serves as an important reminder of the development of this area - from agricultural to residential - prior to becoming a part of the Municipality in 1906.This house is also valued for being an excellent example of how even very modest heritage buildings can be saved, preserved and utilized as a viable part of the Municipality's stock of heritage resources.

Source: The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the character of Eastman House include:
- The very small size of the original structure
- The side-gabled roof
- Original drop siding
- Symmetrical front facade, with central doors and flanking (restored) windows
- Authenic tongue and groove interior walls over wallpapered walls