Hodgson House

West Vancouver

Proposal for Restoration

The Craftsman Centre:

A Tribute to West Coast

Home Building and Architecture

Prepared and Submitted by The Hodgson House Society

March 25, 2005

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Project Summary

This proposal to restore Hodgson House, and establish a resource and education centre on the evolution of local home-building and architectural style, offers a unique opportunity to create a highly original public facility in West Vancouver.

It would unite the classic Craftsman-style house of one of the most prominent local architects -- known as one of the "Builders of the West," or British Columbia's pioneering architects -- with a strong emphasis on the modern West Coast movement, for which West Vancouver became nationally and internationally famous in the decades following the Second World War.

By tracing the development of local building style and interior design from 1900 to the present day, the project aims to provide an inspirational resource for a wide swathe of the community, from casual visitors to home renovators, contractors, and academics. It would include educational programs at the school and adult level, covering such areas as fine arts, architecture and history. The center would act as a tribute to building, architectural and interior styles over the years.

The proposal is made feasible by unusual and unexpected circumstances, particularly the availability of the Hodgson House for purchase without associated land -- but requires urgent action.

To proceed, the scheme requires a founding donation for the house purchase and initial costs from an anchor sponsor, and a commitment to provide land and operations from West Vancouver District Council. The Hodgson House Society would be committed, in turn, to raising funds for renovation from federal, provincial and charitable sources, and to ongoing support after completion.

West Vancouver, with its pursuit of an exclusively residential policy since the 1920s, is considered the ideal location for this venture.

The scheme would be divided into three phases:

Phase 1: Purchase of the house and transportation back to West Vancouver. Funding: Anchor sponsor(s). Estimated cost: $100,000 for purchase, transportation and initial costs. March 2005-June 2005.

Phase 2: Renovation of the house and creation of The Craftsman Center by the Hodgson House Society. Funding: Federal, provincial and charitable grants. Estimated cost: $250,000. July 2005-December 2006.

Phase 3: Operation and maintenance. Possible Funding Sources: West Vancouver District Council, with support from commercial ventures and continued fund-raising by the Hodgson House Society. January 2007 onward.

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Why Hodgson House Matters

Hugh Astley Hodgson built Hodgson House as his family home in 1913, and the property is included in the West Vancouver Heritage Inventory. Although simple in design, it is classical Craftsman Style, and features such attributes as a generous front porch and clinker brick chimney.

Hugh Hodgson was one of British Columbia's leading early architects, and is profiled in the authoritative book on the subject, Building the West by Donald Luxton. Examples of his work in West Vancouver include Pauline Johnson School (1922) and the Harrison Residence, 2587 Kings Avenue (1923). For more detail on his career, see Appendix II.

As well as the prominence of Hugh Hodgson, the building's classic style and its use of local materials, the house is highly significant in its historic value. The property remained owned by the original family, with Hugh's daughter Beatrice living there until her death last year. Most of the house's original features remain, and extensive family belongings -- many stored for decades in the attic -- have been donated to the West Vancouver Museum and Archives. These would be available for display at the Craftsman Centre. The house and its artifacts represent a complete slice of life, from the earliest days of West Vancouver through both World Wars, to the present day.

The opportunity presented by the availability of this house and its contents at an affordable cost is both remarkable and unique, and is unlikely to be repeated.

The contents donated to West Vancouver Museum and Archives include 300 sheets of architectural plans, 800 photographs, albums, letters, postcards, and drawings, as well as numerous artifacts such as gramophones, early surveying equipment, the first electric-powered washing machine and an early table-top dishwasher. Additional items include century-old toys, costumes and kitchenware.

The Status of the House

Until November 2004, the house was located at 2355 Marine Drive, West Vancouver. At that time, it was purchased by a private family and moved to Vancouver Island, where they planned to renovate it. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the family had to shelve that plan, and the house is now available for a second time.

The sale is being handled by Nickel Brothers, a company specializing in house moving, which is storing the property at its site in Nanaimo. The company indicates a selling price of $40,000-45,000 for the house, and a cost of $10,000-15,000 for the move back to West Vancouver. Due to the circumstances, it hopes to conclude a sale quickly.

Details of the house, including photos and plans, available on the Nickel Brothers website, at www.nickelbros.com, Ref.# 04-2355-1.

The main floor of the house is around 1,300 square feet. It has a basement and smaller upper area, both of which would be utilized in the renovation.

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Development Phases

Phase 1: March 2005-June 2005

This would cover the purchase of the house and transportation back to West Vancouver. Under the proposal, financing would come from a donation either from a single anchor sponsor, or a combination of two anchor sponsors. The cost of this phase is estimated at $100,000, which would cover the house purchase, transportation back to a site in West Vancouver, and initial capital costs related to security and urgent repairs.

Simultaneously, a commitment would be sought from West Vancouver District Council to provide a matching donation, in the form of land for the site, and a commitment to operate and maintain the project after completion.

Phase 2: July 2005-December 2006

Renovation of the house and creation of The Craftsman Centre by the Hodgson House Society. Financing would be raised from a range of federal, provincial and local charitable sources, as well as cash or in-kind donations from local businesses and individuals. (Increased funding for heritage projects is being made available at both the federal and provincial levels, including the March 2005 launch of the Heritage Legacy Fund of BC.)

Assistance in creating the centre's resources and displays would be sought from organizations such as the Architectural Institute of BC, the Heritage Society of BC, the Heritage Canada Foundation and BC.Momo (Modern Movement), as well as relevant architectural and building firms. The cost of this phase is estimated at $250,000, which is in line with preliminary estimates by West Vancouver Council staff.

Phase 3: January 2007 Onward

Completion and opening of The Craftsman Centre. West Vancouver Council would assume responsibility for operation and maintenance, but with continued support from both commercial ventures and fund-raising by the Hodgson House Society. The current proposal provisionally envisages the centre opening five days a week, namely three weekdays plus weekends. Cost-sharing proposals include leasing part of the property for a retail operation (e.g. a specialist design company), and hiring out the property for commercial ventures such as weddings, filming, community meetings, and arts and cultural events.

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Why This Project Matters

The West Vancouver community wants to bring back Hodgson House and restore it as a public building, for use as living tribute to the district's built heritage.

For the community, it would offer a multi-functional centre, acting simultaneously as a design research area, with books, magazines, displays and other resources; a vibrant museum, with original artifacts throughout the house; and a community space for meetings and events.

The concept has been created to appeal equally to drop-in visitors, home renovators, trades people and professionals, heritage or history enthusiasts, and academic researchers.

The centre would be used for educational programs at the school and adult level, with the former loosely based on North Vancouver's successful Artists for Kids program. It could also be used for meetings and workshops by professional community groups, with a special emphasis on design, architecture, history and heritage, and for related or non-related arts and cultural events.

The Craftsman Centre would enjoy broad use across the community in West Vancouver, the North Shore and beyond.

For sponsors, the project would further enhance their reputation and roots in the local community; provide a visible, high-profile and extended testimony to their contribution; and, through the subject matter, offer a strategic fit with their core business.

The project would attract extensive publicity throughout its progress, given its original concept, appeal to the community, and combination of public, private and charitable funding. Two articles on the fate of Hodgson House have already been published in the North Shore News.

For the council, the project provides a new public facility at limited cost to taxpayers.

It would bear testimony to West Vancouver's prestigious architectural and style credentials, provide a "heritage" project that extends through to the modern day, and implement a cutting-edge concept unique to British Columbia.

The Craftsman Centre would bolster public awareness of heritage, design and construction in the district.

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Architectural Style in West Vancouver

The Craftsman Centre would focus on the two leading styles of building and interior style in West Vancouver's history: the Arts and Crafts Style of the 1910s and 1920s, and the Modern Movement, which emerged in the 1930s and took hold in 1945-75. However, the centre would also document and celebrate other styles in the history of the North Shore and Vancouver, including Victorian (Queen Anne, Italianate), Edwardian, Neo-Classical, and Colonial Revival.

Arts and Crafts

The Arts and Crafts Style includes both Craftsman and Tudor Revival, the predominant building styles in West Vancouver from around the First World War through to the 1930s. The Craftsman Centre would give particular emphasis to the Craftsman style, reflecting the legacy of Hodgson House, and highlighting the influence of this movement on contemporary interior and building design.

The Craftsman movement rejected the classical and austere influences of the preceding Edwardian style, and was heavily influenced by the American Arts and Crafts Movement, which matured on the West Coast with the California bungalow. The heavy timber Tudor Revival style, by contrast, drew inspiration from Canada's close ties to Britain.

West Coast Style

For three postwar decades, from 1945-75, West Vancouver was at the centre of residential design in Canada, with houses by renowned architects winning national and international acclaim. In 1964, for example, West Vancouver buildings won four of 18 Massey medals, Canada's most prestigious architectural award.

Buoyed by its reputation as a prestigious residential area, West Vancouver attracted a host of cutting-edge architects looking to break with past tradition and forge a new modern style of architects, including BC Binning, Ned Pratt, Robert Berwick, Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth, and, perhaps most notably, Arthur Erickson.

Influenced by Europe's International Style, the Prairie Style of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and British Columbia's Japanese connections, they developed a unique movement known as the West Coast Style (also known as Post-and-Beam or West Coast Regionalism). The design philosophy spread in the 1950s and 1960s, as it was adapted for hundreds of buildings in West Vancouver by design-build firms such as Lewis Construction.

The architects' buildings were characterized by bold, geometric and open-plan designs; the use of natural materials; and adaptation of challenging sites with spectacular views. Acclaimed as masterpieces of design in their day, hundreds of these buildings exist in West Vancouver -- yet awareness of their vital contribution to contemporary architecture is already fading.

The Craftsman Centre would honour the contribution of the West Coast Style, while providing continued inspiration for functionalism and simplicity in exterior and interior design.

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About The Hodgson House Society

In February 2005, around 20 local residents met to explore ways to save Hodgson House for West Vancouver. An ad hoc board was subsequently formed. As the project moves ahead, a formal non-profit society would be formed, which would apply for status as a registered charity.

The board currently comprises:

Lois Enns -- Former District Archivist at West Vancouver Museum and Archives, Lois is now the Records Analyst and oversees records for the whole municipality. She has extensive experience in establishing programs such as that proposed for the Craftsman Centre.

Don Grant -- A retired teacher, Don is a member of West Vancouver Council's Heritage Advisory Committee, and is leading a program to preserve and restore Hollyburn Lodge, on Hollyburn Mountain, through the Hollyburn Heritage Society.

Carol Howie -- Community Archives Assistant at West Vancouver Museum and Archives, Carol is a member of West Vancouver Council's Heritage Advisory Committee and a director of the West Vancouver Historical Society. She is one of the leading experts on the heritage buildings in the local community.

Ian Howie -- Regional manager for Mercedes-Benz, Ian has restored a number of heritage houses over the years. Ian and Carol are owners of a 1913 Craftsman house on West Vancouver's Heritage Register, which they are currently restoring.

Peter Miller -- A resident of West Vancouver, Peter is a retired architect who has always been interested in heritage conservation. He was involved in the heritage restoration of the Manhattan Building at Robson and Thurlow, which was awarded the Credit Foncier Award for sensitive conservation of architectural character in the renovation of a listed heritage building. While practicing in London, England, he was also the project architect for the conversion of the Port of London headquarters at St. Katherine's Dock into the UK offices of the World Trade Centre. The whole of the St. Katherine's Dock restoration project won an award for heritage conservation.

David Pike -- Editor of an international business publication, David is co-founder of the North Shore Heritage Network (www.northshoreheritage.org), a local service providing renovation and other information to heritage homeowners. He has extensive contacts in the sector, and was awarded the 2003 Residential Heritage Conservation Award by North Vancouver City Council. Nancy Smith -- Member West Vancouver Retired Teachers Association, member Canadian Federation of University Women/ West Vancouver, fund raiser for North Shore Women's Centre.

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Appendix I Examples of Past Sources of Renovation Funding: BC Gaming Commission -- Christie House, North Vancouver $50,000 Vancouver Foundation -- Christie House, $25,000 Federal Millennium Grant -- Christie House, $62,000 Rotary Club -- Gertrude Lawson House, West Vancouver $75,000 North Shore Community Foundation, Capilano Mall, General Paint Potential sources of funding and support: Department of Canadian Heritage: Cultural Spaces Canada Fund (heritage renovations) Museums Assistance Program Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program Other Federal: Canada Council for the Arts Provincial: Heritage Legacy Fund of BC ArtsNow/2010 Legacies Now Program Olympic Lives Sites Program BC Arts Council Private: Historica Foundation of Canada Architectural Institute of BC/The Architecture Foundation The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation Hudson’s Bay Company History Foundation The McLean Foundation McConnell Family Foundation The Henry Jackman Foundation Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation KPMG Charitable Foundation Royal Bank of Canada Charitable Foundation CIBC Charitable Foundation The Molson Donations Fund Other: Benjamin Moore, North Shore Credit Union, HSBC Canada, Telus, Terasen, Scotiabank, BC Construction Association, Roofing Contractors Association of BC, Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, Canadian Home Builders Association, Master Painters and Decorators Association

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Appendix II Hugh Hodgson and His Architecture Hugh Astley Hodgson ran a thriving architectural practice downtown at the Carter-Cotton Building on West Hastings, but also carried out significant work in West Vancouver. Born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1880, he moved to the Isle of Man with his family at the age of six. After studying in the UK, he left Liverpool in 1907 for San Francisco, and three years later moved again to Vancouver. He established his downtown offices in 1911. In 1913, Hugh Hodgson married his wife, Gertrude, whom he had met at Liverpool Art School. He built their family home on Marine Drive, West Vancouver, that year. They had one daughter, Beatrice, who lived at the house until her death in 2004. Hodgson was responsible for a variety of buildings, including small hotels, offices, apartment blocks and houses. He sat on the West Vancouver School Board in 1915-16, and later served as architect for the school district. Examples of Hodgson's architecture in West Vancouver include:

• Pauline Johnson School -- 1150, 22nd Street (1921-23, WV Heritage Register) • Inglewood High School -- 1735 Inglewood Avenue (1927, WV Heritage Register,

demolished in 1995) • Additions to the Municipal Hall • The Harrison House -- 2587 Kings Avenue (1923, WV Heritage Register) • St. Stephen's Anglican Church (1925, demolished)

Examples of Hodgson's architecture in Vancouver include:

• Brandiz Hotel -- 122 East Hastings (1913) • Church of St. Peter and St. Paul -- 1426, West 38th (1923) • The Moore Residence -- 1498 Laurier, Shaughnessy Heights (1912) • BC Electric Railway Showroom -- Dunsmuir and Granville (1923) • Burnaby Prison Farm/Oakalla Provincial Jail (1911 onwards, later demolished)

Hodgson closed his Vancouver practice in 1932 due to the Depression and moved to London, England, where his daughter had a scholarship at the Royal College of Music. He worked for London County Council during the Second World War, renting out the West Vancouver house. His postwar employment including repairs to bomb damage on Buckingham Palace. Hodgson returned to West Vancouver in 1953, working out of the office of architect Ross Lort. He is remembered as having a deep aversion to the telephone. Hodgson died in March 1965 at the age of 85, three months after his wife of 52 years. His funeral was held at St. Stephen's, which he designed, and he was buried at Capilano View Cemetery. Source: Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia. Donald Luxton, Talon, 2003

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