Point Ellice House
History
Wentworth Wallace family
Positioned overlooking Selkirk Water/Gorge Waterway, Point Ellice House is among the oldest homes in Victoria and was constructed between 1861 and 1862 for Catherine (née Work) Wallace and Charles Wentworth Wallace. To build the home, Catherine's father, John Work, sold his daughter and son-in-law a two-acre parcel from his estate for $100. Charles was invested in many business ventures in Victoria and British Columbia. By 1866 he was bankrupt, forcing the family to depart from Point Ellice House to pay off debts
![A sepia toned photograph of two older women and a black dog on a gravel pathway. There is a large house (Point Ellice House) behind them. A large lawn occupies the left side of the photograph.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Mary_Windham_O%27Reilly_and_Kathleen_O%27Reilly_pictured_with_Point_Ellice_House.jpg/220px-Mary_Windham_O%27Reilly_and_Kathleen_O%27Reilly_pictured_with_Point_Ellice_House.jpg)
O'Reilly family
The O'Reilly family lived at Point Ellice House from 1867 until 1975 when the remaining O'Reilly's sold the historic house, the land, and the collection of household ephemera to the province of British Columbia.
Peter O'Reilly and his wife Caroline O'Reilly (née Trutch) moved into Point Ellice House December, 1867 with their infant son, Francis (Frank) Joseph O'Reilly. Weeks later, their eldest daughter, Charlotte Kathleen O'Reilly, would be born. The couple would have two more children, both born at Point Ellice House: Arthur John "Jack" O'Reilly (born in 1873) and Mary Augusta O'Reilly (born 1869).
Peter's employment as Gold Commissioner, Judge, and Indian Reserve Commissioner gave him the financial freedom to make extensive changes to the house, including the addition of an entire wing in the late 19th century. Diaries and letters sent between family members discuss house renovations and the ongoing work of maintaining kitchen and flower gardens.
History of Site Management
Point Ellice House was purchased from the O'Reilly family in 1975 by the Province of British Columbia. In 2002, the province sought to outsource the sites management to a non-profit society. A willing non-profit was not found until 2004 when the Capital Mental Health Association agreed to manage the site. In 2009, the Point Ellice House Preservation Society took over operations but was replaced by the Vancouver Island Local History Society (VILHS) in 2019. The VILHS ran the site until March 2023 but they were unable to continue, citing a lack of sustainable funding from the provincial government. In May 2023, the province contracted The Forager Foundation to act as an interim operator of the site, until a permanent organization could be found. In December 2023, it was announced that the Métis Nation British Columbia would be taking over the sites management, beginning in January 2024.
Architecture
Architects Wright & Sanders chose an Italianate Villa-style design that was popular during the 19th century.
See also
- List of National Historic Sites of Canada in British Columbia
- List of historic places in Victoria, British Columbia
References
- ^ Point Ellice House / O'Reilly House National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Point Ellice House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "City of Victoria Register of Heritage Properties" (PDF). April 2021.
- ^ "MNBC has been awarded the contract to operate Point Ellice House" (Press release). Métis Nation British Columbia. 12 December 2023. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Charles Wentworth Wallace Profile". pointellicehouse.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "The Families of Point Ellice House". pointellicehouse.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "BC Archives - O'Reilly fonds finding aid" (PDF). Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens". National Trust for Canada. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Knox, Jack (23 March 2023). "Point Ellice House closes: 'We weren't bluffing'". Times Colonist. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Point Ellice House remains open to public" (Press release). Victoria: Government of British Columbia. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Clark, Kiera (27 July 2023). "Exploring the history of Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens". The Martlet. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Kloster, Darron (14 December 2023). "Metis Nation of B.C. set to take over Point Ellice House". Times Colonist. Retrieved 22 January 2025.