WINCHCOMBE HOUSE

1800 sqft Single Family Heritage House
Completed 2007
Graham Elvidge, Architect of Record

This painstaking heritage restoration of the 1899 Winchcombe House included extensive research and considerable effort. The original building fabric was all still in place, but, in various states of disrepair and decay.

The conservation strategy was to prioritize retention first, restoration second, and replication third. Where original Queen Anne elements were missing or beyond repair, period-appropriate materials and elements were sourced. Many items were salvaged from Vancouver homes being demolished.

This home was built by City of Vancouver Alderman and builder, FW Sentell. Interestingly, research revealed that Sentell and his brothers were builders of Vancouver’s first City Hall.  A Heritage Revitalization Agreement was negotiated to include the 1899 Winchcombe House as a protected heritage structure.

Municipal Award – City of Vancouver, Highest Heritage Honour
Provincial Award – Heritage BC, Outstanding Achievement
National Recognition – Member of Parliament, Libby Davies

Hēritage 2009, Volume XII, Number 1 – National Trust Canada
Second Life – Georgia Straight
Can you identify these Vancouver houses? – James Johnstone, Historian