Spence Residence
Photo: City of Nanaimo, 2009
- Recognized
- 2002
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Spence Residence is a one-and-one-half storey eclectic Edwardian-era building located in one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, south of the downtown core. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.
Heritage value
Built around 1918, the Spence Residence is a very good example of an eclectic Edwardian design. The sophisticated design has unusual features, most notably the distinctive scalloped inset arch over the second floor balcony.
The building’s height, mass and location among much smaller, newer and more modest homes make it a distinctive neighbourhood landmark.
SourceCity of Nanaimo Planning Department
Character‑defining elements
The character-defining elements of the Spence Residence include:
- all of the elements of the eclectic Edwardian-era design, as expressed in the overall mass and form, bell-cast roofline, central corbelled chimney, stained glass transom in the front bay, distinctive scalloped inset arch over the second floor balcony, inset corner porches at the front and rear with square, chamfered columns, horizontal lapped wooden siding, double-hung wooden-sash window with stained glass transom in front bay, square bays, and jig-cut bargeboards
- the building’s location amongst more modest, smaller houses
End of the register’s text
Location
746 Railway Avenue, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
49.14875° N, 123.93942° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.