Description of Historic Place

This large Tudor style one and one-half storey residence with a full basement is located on lush and well maintained waterfront property set well back from the road, adjacent to other large estates in south Oak Bay. It has a picturesque roofline with tall chimneys and a prominent Tudor gable. A carriage house that exhibits similar architectural vocabulary is situated next to the house, with a high granite wall between them that separates the front public sphere of the house from the private back garden that includes spectacular views, a tennis court and a pond on a series of rock terraces.

Heritage Value

The Hinton House was built in 1928 and is valued for its association with architect Samuel Maclure (1860-1929). A native British Columbian, Maclure is closely identified with the predominantly British Arts and Crafts style of the domestic architecture he designed for prominent English businessmen on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. His reputation for designing exceptionally beautiful homes led to his largest commission, as the architect for Hatley Castle, located on the outskirts of Victoria, for James Dunsmuir, Premier (1900-1902) and Lieutenant Governor (1906-1909) of British Columbia. Now part of Royal Roads University, Hatley Castle was, when it was built, considered perhaps the finest home in Canada. Maclure gained international recognition during his forty-year career, with close to five hundred commissions. He utilized many stylistic influences and was able to adapt his use of indigenous materials with versatility. Many of Maclure's buildings, with their beautiful and functional interiors, have been recognized as masterworks and are considered part of the cultural heritage of British Columbia.

This residence is valued as a building of outstanding architectural creativity, a late example of the British Arts and Crafts style with details such as elaborate stonework, wood half-timbering, moulding details, decorative millwork and a high level of craftsmanship throughout.

Hinton House is of value as an example of large, exclusive Oak Bay waterfront property that reflects the socio-economic status of the residents of the area. Further, it is a component of the series of setback homes that contribute to the streetscape, locally known as Bankers' Row.

Source: Corporation of the District of Oak Bay

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Hinton House include its:
- waterfront setting with views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca;
- setback from Beach Drive;
- form, scale and massing;
- steep hip roof with cedar shingles, shed dormer, prominent front gable;
- concrete foundation, wood frame construction, stucco with wood cladding;
- style details such as half wood timbering, moulding under sills, jettys, Tudor arch wooden front door with original brass hardware and twin sidelights, decorative barge boards and moulding, heavy drop finials at the gable peaks, rough timber beveled posts, alternating shingle motif on the roof ridges, exposed rafter tails, knee braces, decorative tin downspouts;
- exterior architectural elements: three corbelled brick chimneys (two internal, one external), original light fixtures, square bays;
- regular fenestration: multi-paned leaded casements in multiple assembly, symmetrical windows on either side of the external chimney, transoms over doors, French windows, double height bay window, small semi-dormer windows;
- interior features: wood floors, main entrance intact, millwork;
- landscape features: high granite wall with quoins, arched entry and cast iron gate, carriage house with triple assembly windows, exposed rafter ends and same architectural vocabulary exhibited in the main house, mature landscape with notable specimens of rhododendron and holly, extensive stonework throughout the property, terraced garden to the water's edge