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Address: 582 Hillside Avenue
Built: c. 1885
1912 householder: Francis T. Child, retired minerThis brick-built house on the northwest corner of Hillside Avenue and Rock Bay Avenue is one of the oldest buildings in the neighbourhood. It is described in Nick Russell's book on notable historic houses, Glorious Victorians. Celebrating residential architecture in British Columbia's capital (2001):
"This is a corner lot and in fact this pleasant house, now in a heavily industrial area, appears to have originally had its front entry where the full-length window is now, facing Hillside, with a hipped roof porch over it...All the doors and windows have curved tops with decorative wooden infil, and there's an unusual brick band defining the two floors. The house appears to have been built by Robert Fish, perhaps as early as 1885, one of several houses the family built on this commanding site" (p. 139).
In 1912, this was the home of Francis T. Child, age 60, a retired miner, and his 57 year old wife, Fanny. They had immigrated to Canada from England in 1878. The household included their son, Reginald, age 31, who was principal secretary in the Lands Department of the provincial government; and their 27 year old daughter, Mabel.