Description of Historic Place

Hamilton-Smith House is a 1 1/2 storey, wood frame, Craftsman-style residence situated in the Willows Beach area of Oak Bay. Originally a beach-front house, the lot has been subdivided, with a new house now located between the Hamilton-Smith House and the beach, in the former garden. It has a side-gabled roof with smaller gabled extensions and a front dormer with balcony above a large front porch that wraps around the ocean side.

Heritage Value

Hamilton-Smith House was built in 1912 for Edward Hamilton-Smith, a teacher. This house is representative of the type of house popular during the pre war building boom and illustrates that a beach front home was within the means of a middle class family of that period. A daughter, Patricia Hamilton-Smith, a well known teacher, remained living in this home until her death in the early 1990s. It is valued as being a contractor-built home in original condition, on part of its original property near Willows Beach. It is also notable as being only one of a pair of houses on the street retaining their original finishes and exterior detailing.

Source: Corporation of the District of Oak Bay

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the character of the Hamilton-Smith House include:
- craftsman-style exterior, including the side-gabled roof with smaller gabled extensions and a front dormer
- original cladding of narrow siding on main floor and shingle cladding on the second floor and basement levels; wide trim boards and heavy brackets supporting bargeboards
- upper balcony above front door with beams, brackets and porch railings
- large brick chimney
- double hung windows with multi-panes in top sash on upper floor
- wrap around porch on north and east facades with Classical columns and four shingle clad columns
- interior original finishes including door and sash trim (some painted) throughout
- three original fireplaces
- intact original floor plan (except kitchen)