If These Walls Could Talk: The stories behind Vancouver’s heritage homes

If you’ve ever lived in an older house, chances are you’ve wondered about the life it had before you arrived. Perhaps you’ve even uncovered some interesting finds during a renovation that gave you a few clues to its past. Or possibly there’s an old home in your family that holds a treasure trove of stories, just waiting to be uncovered by anyone curious—and patient—enough to seek them out.

It was just that kind of curiosity that led Eve Lazarus to write her book At Home with History: The Untold Secrets of Crofton House, p. 58. Crofton House School – Alvensleben’s
Old Residence, Circa 1940. (Courtesy of Crofton House
School Archives [94-P13.59, #3/10])Greater Vancouver’s Heritage Homes (Anvil Press, 2007).

From the early immigrant neighbourhood of what’s now called Strathcona, to the fabulous mansions of Point Grey and Shaughnessy, At Home with History weaves a colourful tapestry of tales from many of Vancouver’s earliest neighbourhoods, including accounts of bootlegging operations, homes built with ill-gotten gains, and rumours of spies.

Through the doors of these houses passed some of the city’s most colourful characters. A particular favourite of the author was the enigmatic Count Gustav Constantin Alvo von Alvensleben. As one of Vancouver’s earliest “movers and shakers”, the charismatic German was the original owner of the beautiful home in Kerrisdale now known as Crofton House, built in 1902. Also on von Alvensleben’s list of properties was the Wigwam Inn in North Vancouver. Built in 1909, the Inn enjoyed great success until World War I. After being seized by the government in 1914, it changed hands many times and was eventually purchased by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club in 1985 and remains one of their offshore stations.

Wigwam Inn, p. 60. Wigwam Inn, Circa 1913.
(City of Vancouver Archives, Photo #LGN
1028, Photographer: Unknown)It was important for Lazarus to include in the book only homes that were still standing, in order to create a living history of the city. This stipulation led to some research challenges and disappointments for the writer. “I’d often find a great story, and follow the leads for weeks, only to find the house was gone,” she laments.

Of all the historical homes still standing, one of the best known, and arguably most beautiful, is Hycroft, completed in 1911 by multimillionaire and senator General Alexander Duncan McRae. The mansion’s annual New Year’s Eve masquerade ball was the event of the year for the cream of Vancouver society. Following the Second World War, the McRaes sold the home to the government, who used it as a hospital before leaving it empty and neglected for several years. It took the purchase of the home by the University Women’s Club in 1962 to restore the historic home to its former glory.

Of course, no account of historic homes would be complete without a few good ghost stories. One of the Lower Mainland’s most reported sightings occurred at the Ceperley estate in Deer Lake Park, now the home of the Burnaby Art Gallery. Originally named Fairacres, the home was built for owners Grace and Henry Tracey Ceperley in 1911, and was, at the time of its completion, the largest house in Burnaby. After Grace’s death in 1917, the Ceperley house went through many changes, including ownership by Benedictine monks and later, to a cult called the Canadian Temple of the Universal Foundation of More Abundant Life.

Glen Brae, now known as Canuck Place, p.93 of At Home with History. Glen Brae, 1690 Matthews, November, 1925. (City of Vancouver Archives. Photo # CVA 99-1494, Photographer: Stuart Thomson)

Over the years, many people have reported seeing what they believe is the ghost of Grace Ceperley appearing upstairs or in the gallery wearing a flowing dress. Others say they’ve heard footsteps, seen faces in the windows, and heard windows opening and closing when no one else is there. Gallery staff have reported phenomena such as smells and chills, missing keys, and appliances turning on and off by themselves.

Alvo von Alvensleben, p. 54.,
Circa 1913 (City of Vancouver
Archives; Photographer:
George T. Wadds)While At Home with History certainly provides a portrait of Vancouver as it once was, including many of its most fascinating people, Lazarus says she never intended to create a “who’s who” of the city’s history. “To me, it was always the homes that were the most important and the people that lived in them were a part of what brought them to life.” Wherever possible, she conducted interviews with previous owners, their descendants and other residents to make these histories even more compelling. Lazarus is also quick to acknowledge all the encouragement she received from local historians and writers. “I don’t see myself as a historian,” she says, “and people with that kind of background were incredibly generous with me, giving me so much information and time.”

At Home with History was launched at the fifth anniversary of the Open Vancouver Heritage House Tour in June, organized by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation. The Tour, which features ten heritage houses in various neighbourhoods each year, is a sell-out event that brings together history buffs, lovers of heritage homes, and those looking for ideas for their own homes, as well as a number of the just plain curious. Lazarus has been involved with the tour in the past, including writing for the accompanying 2006 guidebook, and is pleased that so many people are taking an active interest in the city’s historic residences. “In the past,” she says, “it was a real challenge to preserve anything.” Lazarus feels that people are beginning to embrace the idea that a building need not be a showplace to have historical value, and are able to see the importance of protecting what remains of Vancouver’s heritage. “I believe that social history is just as important as architectural value when it comes to saving or preserving a house,” she says.

The final chapter of At Home with History provides aFairacres, also known as Ceperley House and now
as the Burnaby Art Gallery (City of Burnaby) wealth of useful information for those looking to begin researching an old home’s past. “It’s meant to serve as a stepping stone for people—just figuring out where to begin can be a challenge,” says Lazarus. The section presents a wide array of leads for the armchair researcher, and although Lazarus admits that some owners could “get really lucky,” others will have to take on the project of home research as a true labour of love. Clues might be hiding in the most unexpected places. “It’s a bit like finding an end of a string and you just start pulling to see what comes next.”