1405 Nanaimo Street

The main block (on the left, or west) of 1405 Nanaimo Street was probably built in 1907, judging by its proportions and its appearance on the fire insurance atlas of that year. The West End became accessible to and from downtown in the first decade of the 20th century by the arrival of the streetcar along 12th Street, and so this house represents a period of major development of the neighbourhood. There is a record of an earlier house being built in 1891; this may form the core of the east wing, and, in fact, the original A-frame Pioneer Tent structure can still be seen. This is significant for marking the initial development of the West End, when agricultural land became an urbanized area.

Although much altered and added to, the appearance of the 1907 house can still be read clearly, and the east-west ridge of the east wing may be the envelope of the 1891 house.

The house underwent alterations over the years, and is representative of how residences were modified to meet the changing needs and tastes of their occupants. The documentation records alterations in 1914, 1919, 1996 and 2001. The present owners undertook extensive renovations including the lifting of the house for a new foundation in 1996 and the restoration of windows and new siding in 2001.