I discovered this story when I saw a photo of the spooky-looking house in a newspaper while researching a different story. And, of course, who doesn't love a good haunted house story? I had no choice. I had to look into it, and I'm glad I did. Upon its recent edit, however, I discovered another side to this story that had been well hidden. Again, while researching another story, I came across a report of a ghost sighting on Foul Point shortly before the haunted house was built (see Hardy's Ghost). I was going to blend the ghost-sighting story with the Haunted House story because the two are related. But I decided ultimately that both stories stand well on their own. You can consider that it is a story told in two parts. Hardy's Ghost story would be Part One, and this Haunted House story would be Part Two.

For many, this house's story is one of the most memorable from Victoria's past, having crossed generations who remember how the house sat on Harling Point. I hope I represented it well. The one thing about this story that still bothers me is that I could not nail down with 100% certainty who designed and built the house. I have many broken pieces of data that point to what is written but nothing concrete. I believe it was designed by Samuel McClure or Francis Rattenbury (who lived in the area and owned the property). However, the Scottish mining expert passing through town made the most sense, and I went with that. I hope to clarify this in the future.

"1934::Image of Dr. Fred Harling"

Dr. Fred Harling, WW1 Pilot, Dentist, Hero. (1886-1934)

I scoured for hours, trying to find a photo of Dr. Harling. This photo was the best I could find. He was very admired in the city, and his death was untimely.

Thanks to all who shared their memories of the house in the Facebook comments.

IT'S THE WRONG HOUSE Update::February 16, 2025

Having not given up on who or when the house was built, I finally came across some solid proof of when the house was built. I have also come across proof that the real estate photo that I had once believed (with a bit of doubt) was the haunted house is not the haunted house (even as much as it looks like it is). The story has been updated as a result.

It's incredible how hidden any information about the house is. I can find no building permit issued. There is no early discussion about the house and very little reference. It's unusual, given its enormous size. My search will continue until I'm satisfied. Mr. Smith, a very busy postal clerk about to retire, might have built the house as was rumoured, but it seems nobody was sure whether he did. He undoubtedly worked on the house over the years, though, and it was never finished. My next guess would be that it was built by the Chinese Benevolent Society, which had purchased the surrounding area for its cemetery. The land at the time of purchase was considered outside city limits, and because Oak Bay had yet to be incorporated, the purchase of land and any building fell under provincial jurisdiction. The research is as mysterious as the house.

Thanks for following along!

🚂Papertown Conductor