Description of Historic Place

The fashionable, three-storey house at 1124 Fort Street illustrates the expansion of downtown Victoria to meet the new homes of the wealthy on the desirable slopes of the Rockland neighbourhood. The wood-frame house, in the Second Empire style, is valued as the most impressive surviving example of the mansard-roof residence in Victoria.

Heritage Value

The decision by Dr. Thomas J. Jones, a dental surgeon, to build this home in 1887 at the foot of the hill rising to Rockland, now dominated by Craigdarroch Castle, symbolizes the transition between town and country. This elegant residence epitomizes the prosperity of the Victorian professional class during the post-Gold Rush boom, reflecting Dr. Jones' move from Ontario to Victoria in 1884, to quickly develop the biggest dental practice in the city and eventually to be elected first president of the BC Dental Association.

The continuous evolution of Fort Street over 150 years - from a rough trail connecting the Hudson's Bay Company fort with the beautiful beaches of Cadboro Bay - exemplifies the growth and prosperity of the city. Trebatha dominates the foot of the hills above Victoria, with a view of downtown and the Olympic Mountains.

The house is also a fine example of classic Second Empire style.

Sources: City of Victoria Planning & Development Department; Victoria Heritage Foundation

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Trebatha include:
- concave mansard roof with bands of patterned roof shingling
- symmetrical, hierarchical fenestration, climaxing with arched, pedimented roof dormers
- projecting central pavilion over front entry, with mansardic tower and dormer
- corbelled and paneled chimneys
- side octagonal bays surmounted by shallow box bays