When Stefan and Magda Opalski moved here from Ottawa in 2006, one of the first things they noticed was how passionate residents were about Victoria鈥檚 heritage.
鈥淲hen you go to a bookstore here, there are tons of books on Victoria, all aspects of its history and life here,鈥� said Stefan, who emigrated to sa国际传媒 with his wife from Poland in 1979.
After living in Montreal for a year, they moved to Ottawa, where Stefan, who had a background in electronics, worked for Northern Telecom, which had research labs there. He later co-founded the semiconductor company Skystone Systems.
While in Ottawa, Magda, an author and professor of Soviet and East European studies, worked at Carleton University.
鈥淭here was nothing like what we saw in Victoria in Ottawa. We thought we were coming to a place we knew, but it was a surprise there was so much local interest in history, and a big part of it is old houses.鈥�
Their enthusiasm turned to disappointment, however, when they realized many of Victoria鈥檚 grand old homes were disappearing.
鈥淲e said: 鈥楽omebody should do something about that,鈥� until the moment we realized we were not doing anything ourselves,鈥� recalled Stefan.
They have since invested a lot of money and sweat equity into one of the most ambitious heritage-restoration projects in the city鈥檚 history.
Three years ago, the Opalskis began restoring Wentworth Villa, one of Victoria鈥檚 most historically significant homes that, without their intervention, would have been converted into condominiums.
The home at 1156 Fort St., which they hope will be open to the public some time next year as the Architectural Heritage Museum, has undergone a makeover that would turn Mike Holmes green with envy.
Built in 1863 for Capt. Henry Ella, the home has a colourful history, including its use as Faith Grant鈥檚 antique store, the Connoisseurs Shop, for seven decades.
The year it was built, the house was the largest residential building in Victoria. Their meticulous restoration is mind-boggling, but so was the home鈥檚 original construction, Magda said.
鈥淚ts Gothic revival style to a large extent was motivated by palatial homes, a continuation of the European Gothic style but in wood,鈥� said Magda, who pointed out that two niches in its large hallway, home to a pair of potted lillies, might look like marble but were actually painted wood. When it was built, the original redwoods and windows used in the home had to be shipped from California, she said.
Because local mills weren鈥檛 developed enough 鈥渢o do anything sophisticated,鈥� construction materials had to be brought in to build a home that once had 14 rooms and nine fireplaces.
鈥淚t was the hub for social activities, dances and gatherings,鈥� said Magda. The house was on the eastern-most side of Victoria and was referred to as 鈥渁 suburban villa.鈥�
鈥淰ictoria was very small then, so when a shipload of building materials arrived it was enough to supply quite a few houses,鈥� said Stefan, executive chairman of Pacific North West Heritage Homes Foundation.
The impeccably restored grandeur of the house was evident during a tour that offered a preview of the treasures that await future museum-goers.
Beyond the spacious hallway ascends the original house鈥檚 grand mahogany staircase, albeit augmented with an additional wooden handrail and a plexiglass barrier at its top to comply with safety requirements.
鈥淭his is what the city requested. It鈥檚 a rather ugly piece, but it鈥檚 because somebody could jump,鈥� sighed Stefan, glancing at the protective shield. 鈥淣obody ever has, but 鈥︹��
A stroll through one of the home鈥檚 bright, second-floor rooms leads to period windows that offer commanding southern views of Fort Street, where Garry oak meadows once stood, to the Olympic Mountains.
It was the only room in the house without a fireplace, explained Stefan, as the couple then revealed its elaborately reconstructed balustrade, created using more than 1,000 pieces and 123 different angles, Magda said.
鈥淭his is a balustrade that survived until the beginning of the 20th century, then disappeared,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have reconstructed it on the basis of 19th-century photographs.鈥�
The walkaround brought us to another room where temporary exhibits elicit oohs and aahs.
The most fascinating include chunks of posts and beams 鈥� some rotting, others in surprisingly good shape 鈥� from the original foundation on bedrock and dirt.
鈥淭he new foundation is built around the original, which was no foundation in today鈥檚 sense,鈥� Stefan explained. 鈥淭he main structural beams were supported by very few posts.鈥�
鈥淚t somehow survived earthquakes,鈥� marvelled Magda, whose crew offered to preserve the original foundation to complement the modern one.
A chunk of asbestos encased in a pickle jar also serves as a reminder of the costly removal of asbestos that was required.
Other completed work includes seismic upgrades, improved insulation and fire exits, new heating and electrical systems, wraparound veranda restoration, reconstructed outbuildings and wheelchair-accessibility.
Woodwork was restored to original finishes, the original wooden floors were cleaned and are temporarily protected by vinyl flooring, and a new retaining wall was constructed in the garden.
While walls were repaired and repainted in a 鈥渕useum-compatible鈥� off-white, two rooms will be restored with period wallpapers once funding becomes available.
鈥淲e came to the conclusion that restoration with new techniques are extremely important, so we鈥檙e teaching about those techniques, with seminars about historic houses,鈥� Magda said.
The most fascinating revelations are historical items discovered in the home鈥檚 walls, and while they were digging around the property.
In their Look What We Found room, startling discoveries include vintage Black Cat and Virginia Mild cigarettes, tins of cold cream, vintage lipstick you can still smell and perfumes.
鈥淵ou鈥檇 be surprised by what we found,鈥� said Magda, who learned some landscaping was done using tombstones. One for Victoria pioneer Innocentio Ragazzoni, a violinist, freemason and restaurateur from northern Italy, was found lying upside-down.
鈥淗e came to look for gold in the Fraser Valley, failed to find gold and went back to Italy,鈥� said Magda, noting he later fulfilled a promise to return and lived most of his life here until 1880.
They also found a gravestone that reads: 鈥淏orn in Zion. A.E. Chandler died Oct. 31, 1918鈥� for a man 鈥渨ho killed himself jumping from a window鈥� after contracting Spanish flu while in prison.
鈥淭here are stories and stories and stories,鈥� Magda said. 鈥淪tefan and I have a very longstanding interest in art and history, so it鈥檚 been an adventure and a delight.鈥�
Other artifacts include old glass bottles and stoppers, shattered Chinese vases and ceramics Magda reconstructed, and vintage posters, including a photograph of an archway erected to welcome Queen Victoria.
A large, high-ceilinged room temporarily referred to as 鈥渢he big hall鈥� is particularly remarkable, with two fireplaces, a wall, a staircase and a huge chimney in Faith Grant鈥檚 former living quarters.
Building the massive room that contains items including audio-visual equipment, infographic displays and a glass-encased replica of a Rockland mansion designed by Samuel Maclure was a particularly labour-intensive project, said lead carpenter Ben Schweitzer, who until Jan. 1 co-managed the project with Coastal Niche Construction Ltd. owner Theo Reicken, before becoming the foundation鈥檚 managing director.
His other key associate is Bryce Murray, whom he describes as a perfectionist and 鈥渂y far the most skilled carpenter and problem-solver on site鈥� and 鈥渋rreplaceable鈥� since he joined the project in 2014.
鈥淎ll this was existing flooring, although it wasn鈥檛 all where it鈥檚 laid now,鈥� said Schweitzer, looking around at their labour of love.
鈥淲e took it all up and saved it, re-milled it and put it back down again.鈥�
They decided to focus on Maclure鈥檚 architecture for starters because they thought 鈥渋t was a scandal鈥� that his work wasn鈥檛 properly celebrated in Victoria, said Magda.
鈥淥ne main section will be to showcase historic houses of Victoria and the area,鈥� Stefan said. 鈥淭hey will tell stories of each through the eyes of the owners, builders and those who occupied them later.鈥�
The couple said they were motivated by support from the community, notably from Pamela Madoff, the heritage preservationist and Victoria councillor who championed their cause.
鈥淚t is nothing short of miraculous that this remarkably intact 1860s villa will not only be preserved as an important part of the city鈥檚 architectural fabric but will serve as a centre for arts, culture and architectural history,鈥� Madoff said. 鈥淚t will take pride of place, alongside Craigdarroch Castle and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, in what is becoming a cultural hub in the city.鈥�
Indeed, Wentworth Villa was slated for conversion into condominiums in 2012 after city planners recommended approval of Le Fevre and Company鈥檚 application.
鈥淚 must say developer Chris Le Fevre listened to our cause and agreed to re-sell it to us,鈥� Stefan said gratefully. 鈥淲ithout that, we wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥�
The Opalskis acknowledged it has been a 鈥渧ery costly鈥� undertaking and expressed gratitude to the Victoria Foundation and Victoria Heritage Foundation for providing some grants.
鈥淪omething possessed us one day,鈥� joked Stefan when asked why they did this. 鈥淭here was a devil whispering in our ears saying: 鈥楧o it! Do it!鈥� and we were not realizing what we were getting into.鈥�
On a more serious note, he said since 鈥渢his country has allowed us to do well鈥� they thought there was a requirement for them to do something in return to benefit others.
With the financial well running dry and most restoration work done, it鈥檚 time to focus on a campaign to raise funds for the museum鈥檚 collections, garden rehabilitation, a student research program and a curator.
鈥淲e came to sa国际传媒 penniless in 1979, and now we鈥檙e turning penniless again after renovating this house,鈥� said Magda, laughing.
Small, guided hour-long tours by donation are being offered on the second Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to , email [email protected] or call 250-598-0760.
