Home / Accueil

Murchison House

1781 Abbott Street, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1Y, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2001/12/17

Exterior view of Murchison House, 2003; City of Kelowna, 2003
Front elevation
No Image
No Image

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1939/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/03/12

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Murchison House is a one-storey stucco residence, built in the Moderne style in 1939, located at 1781 Abbott Street in Kelowna's South Central neighbourhood, and within the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area.

Heritage Value

The Murchison House is valued as a rare example for Kelowna of a house in the Moderne style, and for its association with a man who sold the essence of modernity - the automobile.

The house was built for Earle A. Murchison in 1939, at a time when the Abbott Street neighbourhood was mostly filled in with Arts and Crafts and period revival style residences, and its unusual Moderne design contributes to the eclectic character of the area. It was built by a Mr. Alton; no architect has been identified with it. The austere simplicity, white stucco, and horizontal banding are features that distinguish the style.

The house has value as well for its association with Murchison, a prominent local businessman. He came to Kelowna after having been a commercial fisherman on the coast. Murchison and his partner, Harold A. Truswell, purchased Kelowna's Ford dealership in 1927, in the same year that the Model A was introduced. Their business, Orchard City Motors, located in the 400 block of Bernard Avenue, served individual customers and the fruit-growing industry, as it also sold Cletrac tractors and Hardy sprayers. After the Ford dealership was acquired by Arena Motors in the 1950s, Murchison and Truswell, together with H.R. McClure, operated Kelowna Tractor-Sprayers Ltd. for some years at 1560 Water Street.

Murchison was resident here until 1966. A later owner constructed an addition in 1994, but the house retains its integrity as seen from the street.

Source: City of Kelowna, Planning Department, File No. 6800-02

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Murchison House include its:
- Yard with mature trees and shrubs
- Moderne architectural style
- Semi-circular door opening at the entrance off the raised landing
- Simple design with two projecting bands of trim below the roof parapet
- Rough textured stucco finish throughout, which unifies the design
- Straight stepped chimney
- Central symmetrical window facing Abbott Street with a central fixed four component unit and double hung windows on both sides
- Decorative, repeated motif which runs between the two projecting bands

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

2001/12/17

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1994/01/01 to 1994/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Mr. Alton

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Kelowna, Planning Department, File No. 6800-02

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DlQu-55

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places