Description of Historic Place
CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 is the only residence on a large, formally landscaped area set back from one of the dockyard's secondary roads. It is an L-shaped, two-storey building with a steep gable roof and chimney. The exterior of the building is clad in wood shingles. The main entrance is on the south side. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 the former Chief Engineer’s Residence is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value:
CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 is directly associated with the administrators of the dockyard, either the senior engineer or the naval officer in charge. As the former residence of the Chief Engineer, CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 is also directly associated with the establishment of ordnance repair capability at the dockyard in the early 1870s and consequently the naval defence of Canada during both the British and Canadian periods.
Architectural Value:
CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 is a very good example of late Victorian residential architecture on the west coast. It was constructed primarily in wood at the end of the earliest phase of dockyard development. Both the original construction and the later alterations exhibit quality carpentry on the exterior and also on the interior.
Environmental Value:
CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 is situated on a large, formally landscaped site, set back from the road which extends from the main dockyard thoroughfare south to the shoreline. The relationship of CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 to its site has changed, however the building still reinforces the dockyard character. It is somewhat isolated from the industrial and administrative buildings of the dockyard but is familiar to those within the area.
Sources:
Ian Doull, Dockyard, CFB Esquimalt (82 Buildings), Esquimalt, British Columbia. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 89-202; Building D1 (former Chief Engineer’s Residence), Esquimalt Dockyard, Esquimalt, British Columbia Heritage Character Statement 89-202.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 should be respected.
Its functional design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example:
-the asymmetrical massing of the L-shaped, two-storey structure with its steep gable roof and chimney;
-the projecting off-centre gable and door placement and also the arrangement of windows;
-the exterior walls clad in wood shingles;
-the main entrance and two-storey porch with squared posts on the north side;
-interior features such as the fireplace, window casings, living room frieze and main staircase, and the mantles and panelling in the dining room.
The manner in which the CFB Esquimalt, Dockyard, Chief Engineer’s and Base Commander’s House, Building D1 reinforces the present character of the dockyard at Esquimalt as evidenced by:
- the historic relationships with other elements of the Dockyard, with the adjacent formally landscaped area, and with the main north-south road.
