Description of Historic Place

25 Cook Street is a one-and-a-half storey English Arts and Crafts residence, located across from Beacon Hill Park in Victoria's Fairfield neighbourhood. The designation also includes an inglenook fireplace and the foyer.

Heritage Value

The historic place, built in 1910, is valued for its architecture, its architect, the original owners, and how its construction exemplifies the pre-World War I building boom in Victoria.

25 Cook Street is valued as an outstanding example of an English Arts and Crafts residence. Stylistically, it combines American Craftsman Bungalow and Victoria's Chalet design elements. The house is also representative of the boom years, during which much of the south Fairfield neighbourhood was developed. After the building of the Government Street causeway and the draining of the swamp land to the east, Victoria coincidentally entered its most prolific building phase, ending just before the outset of World War I, when the world lumber market crashed.

There is also value in the association with the architect, Harold Joseph Rous Cullin. Born in England, he came to Canada in 1904. He first worked in the office of Samuel Maclure, but opened his own practice a year later. Cullin worked in many styles, designing each building 'to use every inch of space without loss of the artistic.' He designed at least seven schools in the Victoria area, commercial blocks and apartments, and several residences including this example and 1134 Dallas Road for William Dobson.

The original owners were Louis Sebastian Vancouver and Mary York. He was an auditor with the provincial government, a boarding house manager of Miller Court, an outstanding athlete in soccer and cricket, and a member of both the Pacific Club and the Victoria Golf Club. Together with his son Will, Louis was a realtor with John E. Smart & Company during the building boom. Will was assciated with architect Cullin from 1910 to 1912, under which partnership both 17 Cook Street and 25 Cook Street were designed.

Source: City of Victoria Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage character of 25 Cook Street is defined by the following elements:
- characteristics of the English Arts and Crafts style, including front gable roof form with supporting brackets and finial, inset balcony on the second storey with projecting balustrade and supporting brackets, the Tudor half-timbering on the second storey, the open covered porch with arched openings supported by paired chamfered wood columns, the wood sash double hung windows with divided lites in the upper sash, wood shingle exterior, brick chimney, and open front steps with stepped balustrade
- inglenook in the living room with coal burning fireplace
- foyer including original lamp, radiator, stained glass, wood beams, burlap panels and woodwork
- setback from street
- fence with stone pillars
- proximity to Beacon Hill Park