Mellish House

This house was designed and built by F.W. Mellish in 1919. The house represents a good example of a later phase of the Craftsman Bungalow in its materials, massing, and detail. Mellish was a carpenter and builder and in 1888, he opened an office in Galt and worked there for the next two decades. He was adept at working in a variety of styles, and was among the first architects in Western Ontario to introduce the classical vocabulary of the Beaux-Arts style to public architecture in the region of the province. In 1909, he moved to B.C. and opened an office.

The base of 2325 E 1st Avenue is clad with horizontal siding and the superstructure clad in cedar shingle. A sweeping gable roof unites the massing of the house with a central and symmetrical dormer reflected in the lesser gable covering the central front stairs.

The lesser gable-end on the verandah has been detailed with a decorative “exposed truss” motif, and functions as the Arts & Crafts equivalent of a pediment emphasizing and articulating the front entry. All original windows have been maintained, possess distinctive detail, and reinforce the character and integrity of this heritage resource.

Source

City of Vancouver, VHF Files, Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950, Vancouver Building Permits

More information

http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/010913/ph1b.htm