Perry House

Description
Perry House is a delightful single storey wood framed house built in 1940 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
Perry 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.

This house has been owned by several pioneering families. The house was first purchased by Lyla Baker from J. Pentland in 1940. The Baker and Pentland families are recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with streets named in their honour.

The house is named for Amy (Hawkins) Perry. In 1919, Amy married Hugh in Quesnel. Hugh was known locally as ‘Henry’. The couple spent their first night as husband and wife aboard the Barnard Express boat. The Barnard Express, known as the BX, began in 1864 by Francis Barnard to deliver mail, people and supplies. It was the longest single stage line on the continent. As travel technology improved, the express expanded to include steamboats which moved freight and people along the Fraser River. Henry and Amy lived outside of Quesnel. When Henry died in 1941, Amy moved to this house. She died in1983 at the age of 90. The Perry family is recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with a street named in their honour.

The house was later sold to Nicoli Ross. Nicoli was born in 1886 in Russia and arrived in Quesnel in 1925. He drove a horse scraper on road crews for the Department of Public Works, farmed on his property, and peeled logs that were used for telephone poles. Nicoli was good friends with Duncan Campbell and he boarded with the Campbell family while they lived in tents during the construction of their log house on Murphy Street. Sometime in the 1930s, Nicoli mined for gold along the river and had a bit of success during the second gold boom of 1933- 1934. His last job he had was maintaining the lawn at the airport until his retirement in 1966.

Nicoli sold the house to Paul Gustav Miller. Paul arrived in Quesnel in 1924 only to leave and return again three years later. Paul was known locally as ‘P. G’. While he was employed by the Government Telegraph, P.G. installed the switchboard for Quesnel Light, Water and Telephone Company at the old power plant. His first wife was Minnie Marsh who unfortunately died at a young age. Sometime later, Paul met and married his second wife Elizabeth LeBrun.

Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Perry House include:

• it is substantially intact although it has undergone some change;
• an excellent representation of West Quesnel dwellings;
• a unique contribution to the streetscape;
• a single storey wood frame building;
• a central entrance and steeply pitched gable roof;
• bracketed eaves;
• the building materials give the house a unique appearance and warm texture;
• a positive contribution to the buildings along this area of North Fraser Drive that are of similar scale, proportion and style;
• heavily framed windows.