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 Observatory Street Queen Anne - Nelson, BC Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 49° 29.349 W 117° 16.943
11U E 479548 N 5481872
Located on the corner of Observatory and Park Streets, this house enjoys a commanding view of Nelson and the west Arm of Kootenay Lake.
Waymark Code: WMRKPE
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 07/05/2016
Views: 3
This house was built well back from the street in 1900, affording it a large garden space, common in that era. When built it stood on the road leading to the Nelson & Fort Sheppard's Mountain Railway Station. Vestiges of fruit orchards in this vicinity testify to its once rural surroundings.
Designed by architects Cane & MacDonald, it was built for Harold J. Strachan, a plumber who was, with his brother, a partner in the plumbing firm of Strachan Brothers. Stylistically, it is an excellent example of the Queen Anne style, exhibiting many diagonal lines in the façade gables which serve to accentuate the round corner tower, the focal point of the structure. Its decorative shingle work, some of the finest remaining in Nelson today, is also a highlight of Queen Anne design.
The house occupies number 40 on the Nelson Heritage Register 2011 update.
![]() Observatory Street Queen Anne
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The house at 924 Observatory Street is a large, three-storey gable-roofed house with a prominent turret in the northwest corner. It is located to the rear of its double lot on the southwest corner of Observatory and Park Streets in the Uphill neighbourhood of Nelson, B.C.
HERITAGE VALUE
Constructed in 1900, the house at 924 Observatory Street is valuable for being one example of early settlement in the upper reaches of the Uphill area. It is notable for its siting in response to challenging topography, and for its remaining original materials and exterior detailing.
Somewhat unusually for houses high up the slope in the Uphill neighborhood, 924 Observatory Street was architecturally designed by Cane and MacDonald for Harold J. Strachan, Plumber. The corner tower with turret, asymmetrical composition, solid massing and decorative elements are typical of the Queen Anne building style.
Situated on two 50 foot lots, the house is an example of the common upper Uphill occurrence of combined properties to create extended gardens. The large size turret and high level of ornamentation is somewhat atypical for the upper slopes of Uphill, where very often larger properties were improved with small farm cottages and fruit orchards.
The house is located at the highest corner of the property, for ease of access to vehicles that accessed the site off Park Street at the top of the property, and to take advantage of the view of downtown Nelson and Kootenay Lake. The house is important for its remaining original form, detail and materials, including the turret and fine decorative shingling.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Site
¶ Double lot
¶ Views over the West Arm of Kootenay Lake
Buildings and structures
¶ Complex roof form including turreted northwest corner
¶ Bays with generous fenestration associated with turret
¶ Façade gables
¶ Remaining original exterior wood siding, shingling and trim
¶ Remaining wood windows and original glass
¶ Original garage location at southeast (high) corner of property
From Historic Places Canada![]()
Public/Private: Private
Tours Available?: No
Year Built: 1899
Web Address: [Web Link]
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