An iconic landmark in Kelowna with ties to historic provincial politics is now up for sale.
The Bennett family has opted to put the Bennett Estate, formerly known as Brookside Manor, on the market, listed by local realtor Jane Hoffmann for just under $3 million.
Already designated as a heritage home by the Central Okanagan Heritage Society with many of its original architectural features still intact, the home became a feature overseen by the strata council for the 21-unit development complex built around it.
But the home and the .2 acre of land it sits on remained privately owned by the Bennett family, not included as part of the overall seven-acre site residential development.
Steve Bennett, spokesman for the family, confirmed the home is listed for sale, but added the family doesn’t want to discuss the sale through the media.
“Our hope is it goes to a growing family or that Peter comes up with a quiet use,” said Bennett in an emailed statement.
The ‘Peter’ referred to by Bennett is Peter Chataway, an architectural designer and former president of the Central Okanagan Heritage Society.
Chataway told the Capital News the Bennett Estate is a historical jewel with strong ties to the social infrastructure history of both Kelowna and the province.
“This home is not only a historical architectural specimen, but it has a social history and political history that is very important provincially and even nationally,” said Chataway.
To that end, Chataway said the heritage society has created a working group and is working with the Bennett family to find an investor or several investors to buy the home and preserve it as a public historical archive.
“We are trying to be a catalyst to help facilitate the sale for a compatible use,” he said, citing its quiet, private location as ideal for a historical research facility and public history archive.
The home was originally built between 1912 and 1914 by former Kelowna mayor F.R.E. DeHart in a Tudor Revival style and was then purchased in 1936 by W.A.C. Bennett.
Bordering along Mill Creek, the property became a focal point of B.C. politics during Bennett’s reign as the 25th premier of B.C. from 1952 to 1972.
Bennett used the house and the surrounding gardens to host numerous gatherings, most notably among them his annual garden party on July 1.
Chataway noted that when Dave Barrett led the NDP to a defeat of Bennett’s Social Credit Party in 1972, one of the first things he did was return Bennett’s B.C. Legislature office desk to the Kelowna house, where it remains today.
Chataway said after another NDP premier, Mike Harcourt who was in office from 1991 to 1996, was elected, he came to Kelowna and spoke of the province buying the Bennett Estate property and turning it into a museum, but those negotiations didn’t reach an agreement.
“At that time, Harcourt had determined if that had occurred, up to 160,000 people a year would tour that house,” Chataway said.
“He saw it in the same way as former prime minister John Diefenbaker’s home in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which was preserved in its original state and has become a huge tourist draw.”
The Bennett Estate home is noted for its intricate cherry-finished woodwork along its walls, various portions of original wallpaper, chandeliers and marble entry, wood flooring throughout, a grand staircase and a brick fireplace.
The listing describes the house as 4,900 square feet with three gas and one wood conventional fireplaces, above above-ground pool, five bedrooms on the second floor, and an equipped gym and rec room space on the lower level.
While a great opportunity from a heritage preservation viewpoint, Chataway admits the selling price presents a challenge.
“From a funding point of view…we have got a lot of irons in the fire at this point,” said Chataway.
“I have contacted 12 different institutions and people and so far nobody has said no to me. Everyone I approach sees it as an interesting idea.”
Keeping the home in an archive research/storage or museum state, he added, would also placate any concerns about the strata development currently living around the house.
“Ideally you would like to see a use with the least impact on the adjacent strata resident buildings around it,” he said.
Grant Taylor, a member of the strata council for that adjacent development, said the property is currently zoned single-family residential and as the house owners, the Bennett family is free to sell it anytime they wish.
He said any further speculation beyond that at this point “would be way out of line.”
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