EEEKThe Roedde House Museum turns 25
This month, the Roedde House Museum at 415 Barclay Street celebrates its 25th anniversary as Vancouver’s only house museum regularly open to the public. The Museum officially opened on May 12, 1990, after several years of dedicated work by community volunteers.
To mark its 25th anniversary the Museum has a variety of activities planned for the public during the month of May:
- Admission for all visits and events throughout May is free with donations welcome.
- Second Sunday Classical Concert Series, May 10 featuring Jeff Pelletier, Julie Blegg and Karen Lee-Morlang.
- Candleight Guided Tours, May 12, 4pm to 9pm. Get a taste of the house illuminated by natural light on Victorian evenings.
- Community Farmstead Day, Saturday May 23, 11am – 3pm. A fun opportunity for you to learn about every day tasks of years past – including butter churning, vintage photography, weaving, and urban chicken farming.
In 1893, the Roedde House was built for Gustav and Matilda Roedde both originally from Germany. Today the house is one of several heritage buildings that make up Barclay Heritage Square. In 1888, Gustav opened Vancouver’s first bookbindery business which is still in operation in Richmond. The Queen Ann revival style house on Barclay Street eventually became home to six children and three St. Bernard dogs.
Roedde House has been faithfully restored to reflect the day-to-day lives of a Vancouver middle class immigrant family at the end of the 19th century. A visit to Roedde House, with its eleven rooms furnished with artefacts and period items, introduces you to the lives and stories of the Roedde family and provides an intimate experience of life in early Vancouver.
The month of May is the perfect time to discover one of the West End’s hidden treasures. For more information about the anniversary celebration, check out their website.
—Janet Leduc, Kinexus Consulting
