Address: 525 Sumas Street
Built: 1911
1912 householder: Rudolph Gonnason, lumber mill employeeThis colonial-style bungalow has been substantially altered in recent decades, but its Edwardian character is still discernible under the asbestos siding. It has a hipped roof and the front dormer is original. It still has a one-half-width front porch with centre-facing steps, and a shallow, octagonal bay window on the front and on the left side of the house. Originally, this was a six room, 1 ½ storey frame dwelling, built at a cost of $2,300. A building permit for the dwelling was issued in June 1911 to Aaron C. Gonnason. He and his brother Benjamin were principals of Lemon, Gonnason, a firm that operated a massive sawmill at Government Street and Orchard Avenue. (Orchard Avenue has long disappeared, but the mill site was situated in the 2300 block of Government, along the Rock Bay waterway, south of Bay Street.) As well as finished lumber, the mill produced sash windows, doors, mouldings and interior fixtures. This house was probably constructed of high-quality lumber and well-appointed inside.
The house was owned by Rudolph Carl Gonnason, who worked at the Lemon, Gonnason mill. He may have been a nephew of the mill owners and this house may have been a wedding present. Twenty-five year old Rudolph Gonnason married 26 year old Alice May Taylor at the James Bay Methodist Church in September 1911 and this was their marital home for many years.
The Gonnason brothers and their sawmills are described in Volume 3 of This Old House, in the entry for 3010 Quadra Street. The residence at this address in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood was built in 1900. It was the home of Benjamin and Anna Gonnason and was named Linnaea. The exterior of their late-Victorian Queen Anne Revival style residence has been restored and the building is listed on the City's Heritage Registry. In comparison, the Edwardian-era bungalow at 525 Sumas Street may seem like a poor relation. And so it is. Still, it has an interesting history and is part of the heritage landscape of the Burnside Gorge community.