The Minto Manor is undergoing a major renovation that will see the exterior of the historic home completely re-done, while preserving its look.
“This is quite an exciting project and a complete reconstruction of what most people would consider one of the most iconic heritage residential buildings in the city,” Nigel Whitehead, the City of Revelstoke’s director of development services, told council last week. “The renovation proposed is extensive. It includes an extensive renovation of the entire structure except for the main block walls on either side.”
The Minto Manor, or Birch Lodge as it was originally known, was built in 1905 by prominent Revelstoke businessman Robert Howson. The house is a nationally recognized historic building and is on The Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Most recently, it was owned by David & Edna-Mae Johnson, who ran a bed & breakfast in the home.
They sold it to Andrew Goldman, who is taking on the renovation of the building, both inside and out.
On Tuesday, council gave approval to a heritage alteration permit, paving the way for the exterior renovation to go ahead.
The city placed some conditions on the renovation to ensure the original look of the building is maintained. They turned down a request by the contractor to switch two dormers from flat roof to pitched roof, they asked both chimneys be kept, and that the concrete block finishing not be painted.
“It’s probably one of the only flat roof dormers we have in town,” noted Whitehead.
Derek Lammie, the contractor who is leading the project, said they were willing to meet the city’s requests.
“It’s definitely in need of a substantial renovation and remodel,” he said. “My client is the right man for the job. He can afford the renovation and the extent of the detail we want to finish this house with.”
Lammie said they hoped to achieve symmetry by going to pitched-roof dormers on all four sides. “In the present day environment that we live in, it’s not the best building practice,” he said. “If we have to, we would keep the flat roof as a heritage feature on the house.”
Council voted to keep the flat roof. “You are working on the most iconic building in town and I would have a hard time recommending we boot the flat roof dormer and replace it with a pitched roof dormer,” said Mayor Mark McKee.
The Review hopes to write more about this major project in the future.
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