Welcome to the turret, or properly named, the cupola. What is a cupola you might ask? A cupola is a dome, usually small in size, which tops a roof. Why does this house have such an interesting feature? Well, there is a story that goes along with this cupola.
Matilda Roedde loved the sea. The small island country she came from, Heligoland, was so small that no matter where you were on the island, you could always see the ocean. Therefore, when the house was being designed, Gustav Roedde promised his wife a house from which she could see the ocean. That is why the tall, octagonal cupola was built. Of course, today you can't see the ocean from the Roedde House because of the surrounding tall buildings, but in those days there were not very many houses in the west end of Vancouver to obstruct your view.
The stairs leading up to the
cupola or "turret".
|
Mrs. Roedde also loved plants, and the cupola was her greenhouse. Up here, the light was always bright, both in summer and in winter. I'd imagine it would get pretty hot up here, especially in the summer! This small room would have been a place of refuge for Mrs. Roedde. It was an ideal area for a busy wife and mother to sit quietly and rest without the hustle and bustle of daily life.
The stairs leading up to the cupola are very steep. Would you like to run up and down those all day? I remember Gwen Varco, Matilda Roedde's granddaughter, once say "To us, this was a real sleeping beauty tower and we loved to play up there. I really doubt that she had much time for climbing two flights of stairs and looking out at the sea. Grandma had six children, one of whom died in childhood, and another who was adopted."
|
