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Overview

This was the only known work by the renowned Victoria, BC, architect Samuel Maclure (1860–1929), built in the US. It was constructed for a Scotsman, David W.S. Ramsay, who resettled in Ellensburg in 1890. Ramsay's brother, James, first migrated to that city in 1885, to open an implements shop, which David bought later and expanded.

Building History

David and Elizabeth Ramsay traveled to Victoria on excursions before 1904, and became familiar with the contemporary residential architecture of Samuel Maclure there. Architectural historian Janet Bingham, in her book, Samuel Maclure Architect, stated of the Ramsay House: "In 1904, Maclure accepted a commission for a house in Ellensburg, central Washington, where his client, David Ramsay, was a Scottish hardware merchant. Before the Ramsay House was built, the Ellensburg Capital noted the visits the Ramsay family made to Victoria. During these visits, they stayed in Oak Bay and became acquainted with Maclure, whose houses they admired. The Ramsay property was originally an entire residential block, but today the house and garden occupy only a quarter of the original area." (See Janet Bingham, Samuel Maclure Architect, [Ganges, BC: Horsdahl and Schubart Publishers, Ltd., 1985], p. 69.) The house stood out in this small town in 1906. According to Bingham: "By Ellensburg standards the house was quite lavish and caused a commotion while it was being built. It was mentioned in the local paper several times, the final article of December 1905 stating: 'The David Ramsay house is nearing completion. It will be, by all accounts, the finest house in the city." (Bingham. p. 70.)

The residence contained four bedrooms, two on the first floor and two on the second. Formal in plan, the house had front and rear vestibules and front and back hallways, spaces that were incorporated into living or sleeping chambers in later years. The verandas wrapping around the south and east of the house, provided places to eat breakfast and review activities on East 9th Street. The house, true to its Arts and Crafts Era roots, had many built-in storage areas; these included bookcases and seats in the library and cabinets in the pantry.

Beginning in 1965, Colin Condit and his wife resided in the Ramsay House. Under their guidance, the house was designated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Building Notes

Proportionally, the Ramsay House's first floor was roughly divided into thirds. On the first floor, the western third, from south to north, contained the library, a large bedroom, and another smaller bedroom. The middle third contained the entry hall, back hall and bathroom, while the eastern third contained a vestibule, dining room, pantry, and kitchen/back porch. Verandahs surrounded the house on the southern and eastern facades. On the second floor, there was a much reduced floorplan, with only two bedrooms,storage rooms, bathroom and a large landing. The landing may have functioned as a playroom for children upstairs.

PCAD id: 20917