Description of Historic Place

The Stiell House is a large, north facing two and one-half storey Tudor Revival style residence, distinguished by stucco and half-timbered cladding. It is located on the shore of Okanagan Lake on a corner lot in Kelowna's historic Abbott Street neighbourhood. The mature landscaping includes cedars and willows.

Heritage Value

The Stiell House is valued as an excellent, largely intact and late local example of the Tudor Revival style. Built in 1938, when the city was expanding as the fruit industry was prospering, this house reflects the economic growth and stability in Kelowna even during the Depression years. It reflects the lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthier elite, who could afford to build large homes on lakefront property. The house was built as a retirement home for farmer David Gilmour Stiell (1882-1954), who had arrived in Kelowna in 1908, and his wife Margaret B. Stiell (1885-1940). By 1948 it was the home of David McNair, sales manager of BC Tree Fruits, and his wife Gertrude, and throughout the 1950s it was owned by John M. Godfrey, an oil broker, and his wife, Doris.

This house is valued as one of the best examples of the Tudor Revival style in Kelowna. Distinguishing design elements include the asymmetrical composition, a steeply pitched gabled roof and half-timbering in the gable ends. The use of period revival styles was very popular in the interwar period, at a time when it was considered good taste for houses to conform to a traditional appearance. This grand residence was designed and built by prominent local contractor Alexander Cormack Bennett (1882-1953).

Source: City of Kelowna, Planning Department, File No. 6800-02

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Stiell House include its:
- setting on lakefront property with views to the west shore of Lake Okanagan;
- corner location at Burne Avenue and Abbott Street;
- residential form, scale and massing, as expressed by its regular square plan and two and one-half storey height (with full basement);
- steeply pitched side gable roof with large front gable wall dormer and small rear gable roof dormer;
- wood-frame construction and concrete foundation;
- Tudor Revival style details, such as its stucco cladding with half-timbering in the attic level gables and front porch gable, front and rear porches with Tudor arch openings, exposed purlin ends under the eaves, slight attic level overhang supported by exposed beam ends;
- additional exterior details, such as its curved stair sides, original basement garage, original glazed front door with sidelights, leaded transom lights and associated hardware, lakeside elevation with shallow shed roof over ground level windows and one internal red brick chimney; and
- asymmetrical fenestration, such as multiple-assembly 6-over-1 and 4-over-1 double-hung wooden-sash windows and three curved bay windows on the front and side elevations.