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Welcome to the Roedde House! My name is Hoggle and I have been around the Roedde House for quite some time. That's me in the picture there! Can you see me? I am the Roedde House front door and a foremost authority and official tour guide of the house. Have you ever been to such a lovely house before? I see in your eyes that you are just as mystified about the Roedde House as I was when I was first installed. The house was built in 1893 and has been rumored to have been designed by the famous architect Francis M. Rattenbury. As a heritage house located in the west end of downtown Vancouver, this home is very important. It is important to you, me, and to those who live in and visit this grand city because it is a part of Vancouver's rich history. The style of the Roedde House is called the North American Queen Anne style. Although its name indicates a borrowing from England, the North American Queen Anne style of architecture is hardly anything like the British style. Queen Anne style buildings usually look unbalanced or have an asymmetrical arrangement of building parts. While buildings of this style are not identical, they all have similarities that occur among them. Usually, the roof lines are steeply pitched and feature many gables, which are the triangular shaped parts of the wall which meet the roof. Other similar features that are in this style are porches, tall decorative chimneys, balconies, cupolas, and many bay windows. The surfaces of these buildings are never plain as clapboard siding is widely used. When most of us think of a Victorian building, the Queen Anne style house is the most popular to pop up in our minds. The use of detail along with the use of architectural features, such as gables, towers and balconies, combine to create the most fanciful style of the late 1800s.
Let me tell you a little bit about the block that the Roedde House lives on. If you look up and down the street, you will see that there are many houses and buildings that look similar to the Roedde House. These houses, including the Roedde House are designated heritage houses, which means that they have been preserved as a reminder of Vancouver's history. You must understand, these houses are a few of the last remaining buildings in Vancouver that allow people to see into the past. The Roedde House is located on what is known today as Barclay Heritage Square. Along with eight other heritage houses, the square also has beautiful Park space. Neighboring the house is Barclay Manor, built in 1890. Built three whole years before the Roedde House, it was owned by Vancouver city accountant Charles Tetly, until it became the West End Private Hospital a little time later. It shares some similarities with the Roedde House, but it is a much simpler design. Today, after restoration, Barclay Manor is a community centre for senior citizens.
Down the back sits the Week's House, which was built three years after the Roedde House in 1896. Vancouver pioneer George Weeks and his family lived there for thirty years. Did you know that he was the original manager of the Hudson's Bay Company? He was an important man and a neighbor to the Roedde family! This house was restored as well, and is now used as a wellness centre for individuals with life threatening illnesses.
All of the nine houses on the block with their surrounding park site make a unique environment in the middle of downtown Vancouver. Today, Barclay Heritage Square, along with the Roedde House, are embraced and cherished by the surrounding community Now that you know a little about Barclay Heritage Square it is time to see the Roedde House! On with the tour!
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