Eric Hamber’s Greencroft

Greencroft was the home of Eric Hamber, who was Lieutenant Governor of BC from 1936 – 1941. The house was built in the First Shaughnessy development in 1912. In 1913, it was purchased by Hamber, who named it Greencroft.

Hamber had recently married Aldyen Hendry, daughter of John Hendry, who owned BC Mills Timber and Trading Company. Hamber later became its president. The heritage plaque outside of the home reads: “Renowned for their entertaining, the Hambers hosted guests such as Louis St. Laurent, Franklin Roosevelt, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 2001 the house and landscaping were protected as part of the heritage revitalization project”. Eric and Aldyen lived at the house until 1960.

The architect of Greencroft is unknown. Key features of the house include: a massive hipped roof, a distinctive 2 storey turret, a large ballroom and later a 1936 sunroom addition by prominent architect Ross Lort. The house is a mix of styles: Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival detailing with Arts and Crafts elements such as stucco cladding, tapered port cochere columns and iron eave brackets.

In 2004 the house was painted in historic colours with the help from the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s True Colours grant.
In April of 2014, Greencroft was the most expensive home for sale in the Lower Mainland, listed at $35,000,000

Source

City of Vancouver, VHF Files, https://www.vancourier.com/living/the-10-most-expensive-homes-for-sale-in-the-lower-mainland-1.1015752

More information

http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/010605/ph1.htm