Borden number: DcRu-235. A Borden number is a unique identifier code that is assigned to an archaeological or historic site on the basis of its location.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files

Designated Site; Ministerial Order; 22 November 1973.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files

Emily Carr House consists of a two-storey Picturesque-Italianate-style house on a residential city lot in the James Bay district of Victoria, British Columbia.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files

Emily Carr House is significant because of its association with the birth and life of Emily Carr (1871-1945), a well-known author and one of Canada's most famous painters. This house and its surrounding environment, and the impact they made in her life, are mentioned in all of Emily's books. This place was the wellspring of Emily's creativity - this is where her desire to create and her appreciation of art began. The location of the house is significant because its proximity to Beacon Hill Park and the shoreline played an important role in Emily's appreciation of her natural environment. The situation of the house in the James Bay neighbourhood is valuable, as it inspired the nearby construction of subsequent houses by Emily and her sisters.

This house is an excellent example of a Picturesque Italianate villa designed by John Wright, a prominent early architect in Victoria. Built in 1864 for Richard and Emily Carr (Emily's parents), this house exemplifies Wright's contemporary work.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files

The character-defining elements of the Emily Carr House include:

- the relationship between the house and Beacon Hill Park and the shoreline
- the relationship with other nearby Carr family houses in James Bay, such as 646 Simcoe Street (The House of All Sorts), 218 St. Andrew's Street, and 231 St. Andrew's Street.
- the situation of the house on the lot
- the situation of the house within a garden context, with unimpeded views between the house and Government Street
- the Picturesque Italianate form and massing of the exterior of the house, including the three-bay façade, small square balcony above the main door, and decorative urns
- the spatial configurations of the dining room, hall, drawing room, sitting room, and breakfast room, stairway, and the upstairs bedrooms at the front of the house (in particular the bedroom in which Emily was born)
- any historic woodwork and finishes, such as paint, wallpaper, and decorative plaster work, related to the Picturesque Italianate style, and dating to the time of the Carr family's residence in the house (1864-1937)

Source: BC Heritage Branch files

To learn more about Emily Carr House, visit the Canadian Register of Historic Places website: www.historicplaces.ca.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files