Description of Historic Place

The J.N. Thompson House is a large, two-storey, wood-frame Queen Anne Revival-style house. It is set back from the property line on a large treed lot near the northwest corner of Richter Street and Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna's inner city south-central neighbourhood.

Heritage Value

Built in 1911, the J.N. Thompson House is valued as a fine example of the Queen Anne Revival architectural style, as expressed by the asymmetrical plan and massing and highly-articulated facades. The house is a late and transitional example of the style, built at a time when the Classical Revival styles predominated. Local contractor George E. Ritchie was the designer and builder of this prominent home. It has survived in virtually intact original condition and is particularly noteworthy for the rarity of its style in Kelowna, its imposing size and its grand setting on a large lot.

This site is additionally significant for its association with owner John Nelson Thompson (1870-1956), a prominent citizen and businessman. Thompson was involved in a number of business and service activities in and around the city, and made a significant contribution to the economic development of Kelowna. He was variously a tobacco grower, an orchardist in the Glenmore area, a founding member of the Central Okanagan Land and Orchard Company and a partner in the Morrison-Thompson Hardware Store.

Source: City of Kelowna Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the J.N. Thompson House include its:
- location, facing west and set well back from the street on a large lot
- residential form, scale, and massing, as expressed by its two-storey height and irregular plan
- hipped roof with projecting gables and closed overhanging eaves
- wood-frame construction with lapped wooden siding, lattice screens under the verandah, cornerboards and simple window trim surrounds with cornice
- Queen Anne Revival style elements, such as its wraparound verandah with classical lathe-turned columns and three projecting double-height gabled bays
- additional exterior elements, such as the second-storey balcony with closed balustrade and glazed access door, rear entry with porch, and side entrance with glazed door located in a bay window
- regular fenestration, including one-over-one and two-over-two double-hung wooden-sash windows, some with leaded, diamond-pattern panes in the upper sash, square attic windows and piano window on the front facade
- associated landscape features, such as grassed lawns and mature specimen trees