Robert K. and Mary Chapman House “Holly Hedge” (1911)

Four stunning Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau style stained-glass windows imbue this home with ethereal light.

Style elements: Arts & Crafts features include: large overhanging eaves with exposed joists; extensive interior fir wainscoting and mouldings; inglenooks by the fireplace; box-beam ceilings; and a set of four stunning stained-glass windows in the style of the day showing a bucolic cottage scene (possibly made by Royal City Glass).

The local British Columbian newspaper said at the time, “The building internally is paneled in fir with beamed ceilings. The exterior is shingled and has a wide veranda and large balcony. There is a concrete basement and upstairs a large billiard room. The house stands in very pretty grounds.”

Architectural Significance:  Many homes had already been built in Queen’s Park before the turn of the century; Chapman House is a significant example of a home built in the classic Arts and Crafts style in the neighbourhood in the early 20th century.

What to look for:  When the present owners purchased the home in 1988, it had been turned into a rooming house. Ceilings had been lowered and most door and window mouldings torn out for “modern” replacements. They have seamlessly restored it to its past grandeur, exposing the original fir floors, removing unsympathetic panelling to reveal fireplaces and walls, and adding an array of period-appropriate light fixtures, lamps and furniture.

First homeowners:  Nicknamed Holly Hedge (which you can see stamped in the front concrete walkway), this home was built for R.K. Chapman, a vice-president in the real estate and insurance firm F.J. Hart & Co.  Hart hired Gardiner and Gardiner, one of the Royal City’s premier architectural firms, to design the home. It cost about $8,000 to build.

The full story

This landmark Arts-and-Crafts-style home − built in the summer of 1910 at a cost of $8,000 by Gardiner and Gardiner, renowned Royal City architects − was built for R.K. Chapman, a vice-president of F.J. Hart & Co., the real estate and insurance firm.  Its nickname is Holly Hedge, which you will see stamped in the concrete walkway as you enter through the front gate.

The newly built structure was described at the time in New Westminster’s British Columbian newspaper as: “The building internally is paneled in fir with beamed ceilings. The exterior is shingled and has a wide veranda and large balcony. There is a concrete basement and upstairs a large billiard room. The house stands in very pretty grounds.”

In the tradition of Arts & Crafts architecture, this home has large overhanging eaves with exposed joists; inglenooks by the fireplace; coffered ceilings with exposed beams; and a set of four stunning stained glass windows that are in the Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau style with bucolic cottage scenes painted on the central panels of each window. These may have been made by local craftsmen at Royal City Glass. There are also stained glass windows in dining room and family room.

The home − similar to many others on tour through the years – had been unsympathetically divided into rental suites, and then thankfully purchased by people who appreciate heritage and slowly restored to its original single-occupancy condition. When the present owners purchased the home in 1988, there were sinks in three of the upstairs bedrooms from when it had been a rooming house.  Ceilings had been lowered, and most of the original door and window mouldings removed for a more modern look.

Long-hidden fir floors were exposed and refinished as the removal of panelling revealed beautiful fireplaces and wall features. The kitchen has been done in a period-sensitive style. The horrible fake Z-Brick was removed to expose the original brick chimney. Antique lighting fixtures, lamps and furniture reflect the grandeur of when the house was built.

The homeowner’s stepfather built the beautiful plank-on-frame wooden ship models of the large Man O’War sailing ship and the paddlewheeler Creole Queen. The same artisan built the beautiful Tudor-style dollhouse.

The home was last on tour in 2002 and the  owners are delighted to welcome you back to their charming home.

Thank you to our Sponsor – Lori Fralic Realtor: Lori is all about real estate, from buying and selling to staging and showing, with a solid reputation for service that is both hands-on and personal from For Sale to Sold. Working with her brother, master renovator Graham Sievers, Circa Restorations Inc., she is no stranger to design and renovation. Contact Lori at 604-312-0738 | lorifralic.com | lori@lorifralic.com