The Roedde House Museum is a uniquely restored heritage home in the center of the West End. This house was home to the city’s first bookbinder, Gustav Roedde, and it reflects on the day-to-day life of a middle class immigrant family at the start of the 20th century. Roedde was born in 1869 in Grossbodungen, Thuringen, Germany and immigrated to the U.S in 1881, where he met and married Matilda Maries Cassebohm, who is also from Germany. The couple moved to California, Victoria, and then finally Vancouver, where Gustav opened the first bookbindery. His business flourished as the Vancouver population grew, eventually being able to afford to build a new house. Some of the great-grandchildren of the pioneer family still live and work here in Vancouver and maintain proud interest of the house which stands as a special meaning of heritage for them.
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Today the Roedde House offers experience unlike other heritage homes where rooms are not roped off or behind glass, and each of the eleven rooms are furnished with artifacts and items from the time period. The house was designed by early BC architect, Francis Rattenburg, who is also known for his work on the Legislative building and Empress hotel in Victoria. He added things that reflected his own taste, city around the house, and also needs of the family in the architecture of the building. Turrets were built so Matilda could see the ocean whenever she wished, and extensive use of wood for the interior and exterior of the building reflected on how Vancouver is surrounded by forest. The architectural style called “Queen Anne Revival” included a complex roofline, dormer windows, bay windows, and a veranda. In 1976, the house was designated as a “heritage building” by the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and in the 80s, the city with assistance of the Heritage Canada Foundation and BC Heritage Trust restored the exterior of the house. Soon after, the Roedde House Preservation Society formed to restore the interior. The interior restoration was difficult because they had to keep historical records and accoutrements of middle-class life, authentic.
The state of the house now is nearly identical to how it was in the turn of the century when the Roedde lived in it. Looking around the house is the closest we can come to seeing the lifestyle of people in this era. When comparing this house to ours, it shows how life was very different yet very similar to how it is today. This attraction really captures the essence of this particular time era. The Roedde House and the time it represents are huge parts of the heritage for all people living in Vancouver. Written by Wayne H. |