'Jack' Norwood House

'Jack' Norwood House is a one-and-a-half storey wood frame house built in 1933 located on the northeast corner St. Laurent Avenue and Callanan Street in North Quesnel, BC. The historic place includes the building and the parcel of land it occupies.

The 'Jack' Norwood House has aesthetic, historic and social value for its contribution to the character of its neighbourhood and its association with influential members of the community of Quesnel.

The historic place has aesthetic value for reflecting the character of the surrounding neighbourhood. It was built in 1933 and is located in North Quesnel, an older residential neighbourhood in the city. While not in its original form, the building still contributes positively to the streetscape that has other houses of similar scale, style, and proportion.

The 'Jack' Norwood House has historic and social value as a physical reminder of the people who shaped the development of Quesnel. The historic place is named for Cyril Augustus Norwood, who was a well known local contractor who built this house with his brother Stanley Oscar Norwood. The brothers came to Quesnel from England and worked with Harry Joyce, another local contractor. The brothers were known to build a house and live in it while they were building another. As one house was completed, they would move into it, sell the previous house, and start to build another. Cyril was known as 'Jack'. His nickname was given to him by Harry Joyce who could not remember his given name. The brothers specialized in cabinetry work and the construction of wood frame buildings. They built Quesnel's first water tower and finished the interior of Telesphore Marion House on Front Street. Charlie Allison, the druggist, often hired the brothers to do carpentry work in his store located in the Hudson's Bay Company Building on Carson Avenue. The brothers were confirmed bachelors who enjoyed spending their spare time fishing and hunting with their friend Dr. G.R. Baker.

The historic place is also valued for its association with occupants Dr. G.R. Baker and his second wife Helene. They rented this house from the Norwood brothers during the construction of their house on Bowron Avenue. Dr. Baker came to Quesnel to attend to an emergency operation. He was to stay in Quesnel for one year, but he never left. He was originally from Ireland and completed his internship at St. Bartholomew's Medical and Surgical Hospital in England. Before the age of the automobile, Dr. Baker made his house calls on horseback until he purchased a Model-T automobile. Dr. Baker was affectionately known in the area as 'Paddy'. Once, Dr. Baker apprehended a wanted murderer and received an award for his heroic actions. In 1956, the G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital was built in his honour. Dr. Baker is recognized for his contribution to the development of the community with a street named in his honour.

The 'Jack' Norwood House is additionally valued for its association with pioneers Thomas and Margaret Douglas. In 1940, the Norwood brothers sold this house to Thomas and Margaret Douglas. Thomas and Margaret moved to Quesnel to raise cattle. In 1920, they had a large ranch with 500 head of cattle and 1,000 sheep at Soda Creek. Thomas also had the mail contract between Quesnel and Prince George during the winter of 1922-1923. Thomas and Margaret moved into this house to be closer to their daughters Elizabeth Beath and Anne Ewing, also residents of Quesnel.

The character-defining elements of 'Jack' Norwood House include its:

- One-and-a-half storey wood frame house built in the 1930s;

- Square form and clapboard siding;

- Siting on a corner lot;

- Commanding presence on the street;

- Gable roof with a window in the peak of the half-storey and bracketed eaves;

- Sympathetic garage and porch addition built in 1965;

- Symmetrical facade with large picture windows;

- Double paned sash windows on sides.