This is a Craftsman style home and it has an unusual assortment of roof forms. As you can see, it also has stone porch columns, distinctive clinker brick cladding and wood shingles.
Born on November 24, 1867 in Carlingford, Fullerton Township, Perth County, Ontario, Baxter arrived in BC in 1890. Not only a merchant, Baxter was also a former teacher and served as an alderman during the years 1900, 1905-06, 1912. In 1913, he became mayor.
Unfortunately, he took office at a time when the province and country fell into an economic slump. Baxter was forced to reorganize all civic departments and at the start of World War ,I the city council voted for all civil servants to take a two percent pay cut.
During his term as mayor, though Baxter also formed a Charities and Relief Committee to look after those most in need. Mayor Baxter insists that he proposed the Mount Pleasant location for the new city hall, not Gerry McGeer.
In 1914, Baxter lost the mayoral race to Louis Denison Taylor.
I have to thank The History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the information on Mayor Baxter and the plaque outside the building for the information.
I love these plaques. They not only have the history of the building but also tell me what architectural design it is!
Please don't forget about my eBook, Mystique Rising, being free this Saturday and Sunday. Download your copy and let all your friends know about it please.
Here's the gorgeous cover, which Virginia Higgins designed.
I used to live 2 blocks from the Baxter House- it is indeed beautiful. Halfway down the alley towards Alberta St. is an interesting old garage with 10 ft wide sliding doors and a crane pulley arm above the gable window- it looks more like a small barn. I always wondered how old it was and what it was originally used for. It's pretty cool. That whole neighbourhood is full of interesting little gems.
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