385North Fraser Drive
Description
Oscar Senneseth House is a charming one-and-a-half storey log house built in the 1930s located on the west side of North Fraser Drive in West Quesnel, BC. The historic place includes the building and the parcel of land it occupies.
Heritage Value
Oscar Senneseth House is located in West Quesnel which developed as a rural community with small houses and family farms. The growth of West Quesnel was moderate until a single-lane bridge across the Fraser River was constructed in 1929. The bridge provided a permanent link between the two Quesnel communities. These communities were amalgamated into one city in 1958. In 1971, the two-lane Moffat Bridge was built and growth in West Quesnel increased steadily. While not in its original form, the house is a physical reminder of the people who shaped the development of Quesnel.
The house is named for local building contractor Oscar Senneseth who built this house in the 1930s. Oscar built other log houses in the Quesnel area including one for pioneer, Charles Beath. Oscar lived here for many years. He sold it to the Morrow family who also lived here for several years.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Oscar Senneseth House include:
- an excellent representation of log houses once popular in the area;
- one-and-a-half storey log building;
- a dormer, steeply pitched gable roof, central chimney, and covered porch entrance with spindle railing;
- the original form is evident even though changes have occurred;
- a testament of the historical evolution of the street;
- large window in the half storey on the façade.