Description of Historic Place

The Sharp Residence is a one-storey brick building located in one of Nanaimo’s oldest residential neighbourhoods, just north of the downtown core. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Heritage Value

Built in 1923, the Sharp Residence is a very good example of a Late Craftsman-style Bungalow and a rare example of brick residential construction. Long and low in form, the Sharp Residence has many typical Late Craftsman features, including an open front verandah and triangular eave brackets. The building is also notable for its brick construction, as brick was rarely used for residential buildings in Nanaimo.

The Sharp Residence exemplifies the type of prestigious housing that predominated in Newcastle Townsite from its first development, just after 1900, until the 1940s. Separated from the rest of the Nanaimo by the Millstone River, Newcastle Townsite quickly became an exclusive residential suburb for the city's commercial and professional elite. Today, the neighbourhood is a mix of commercial buildings, condominiums, apartment buildings and single-family houses. Surviving early residences such as this building are important reminders of the original character of the area.

Source: City of Nanaimo Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Sharp Residence include:

- all of the original elements of the Late Craftsman Bungalow style, including the simple, long and low form, the brick construction, rough-cast brick checkerboard pattern in the gable ends, the casement and double-hung wooden-sash windows, the triangular eave brackets, bellcast roof, and wide bargeboards
- the building’s location in one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods within a superior grouping of historic homes