Description of Historic Place

799 Linkleas Avenue is a one-and-a-half storey front gabled Craftsman bungalow with a wide front porch on a landscaped lot with large side yard in Oak Bay, B.C. It is sited mid block with a large apple tree in the front yard and two beech trees to the side.

Heritage Value

799 Linkleas Avenue has historic and aesthetic value for its connection to a boom period of development in the neighbourhood, its architectural style and its mature gardens.

The property has historic value for its association with the early twentieth century development of Oak Bay during the boom period (1910 - 1913) in the Greater Victoria region. The planned subdivision, Golf Links Park, of which 799 Linkleas Avenue is a part, was promoted by a syndicate that included Mayor William Oliver, Herbert Cuthbert, and other prominent names in the community. The syndicate promoted the project as 'the peer of all subdivisions,' offering prestigious lots with views over the Victoria Golf Club and the Juan de Fuca Strait. The project stalled with the onset of World War I. 799 Linkleas Avenue, built for Edwin Buss of Capital City Developments in 1913 for $4500, is one of the few original houses within the subdivision. It was later occupied by the Honourable Mr. Justice William Rogers McIntyre, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of BC and the Supreme Court of Canada.

The historic place has aesthetic value for its garden and trees. It is sited above the street level with mature gardens and a generous side yard - in 1944, the original lot was combined with half of the next door lot. The side garden is dominated by two large trees, a weeping beech and a copper beech. The front garden features an apple tree grafted with three different varieties of apple. The trees and gardens are well known in the neighbourhood.

The house also has aesthetic value for its Craftsman style, which was popular in the period. It has a traditional front gable, full width front porch with squared posts and wide stairs, basement garage fronting to the street, wooden shingles with lap siding below, and side dormers. The main floor public areas are substantially original, with the dining room beams, plate rails and trims, windows and fireplace in original condition or fully restored. The well sized home has three fireplaces, fir floors, an open staircase, and many stained glass windows throughout the house.

SOURCE: The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of 799 Linkleas Avenue include its:
-Mid-block location with a large side yard and mature garden including one large apple tree, and two large beech trees
-Siting above the street with a basement garage fronting to Linkleas Avenue
-Form, scale and massing of a Craftsman bungalow
-Many original features including sash windows, fireplaces, beams and trim
-Stained glass windows throughout the home
-Wide stairs and full width front porch leading to original front door with stained glass window
-Few alterations to the original interior floor plan.