Description of Historic Place

Parker House is an art moderne house with a flat roof, rounded corners and a smooth stucco surface, located in Penticton, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

Parker House has aesthetic value for its art moderne style and historic value for its association with acclaimed B.C. architect, Robert Lyon. It is a mature example of Robert Lyon's streamline modern architectural work in the Okanagan. Lyon was a Scotland-born architect who came to B.C. in 1910. He moved to Penticton in 1922, where he worked on commercial and institutional buildings, as well as residential commissions. His most important works were Leir House, City Hall and the Post Office in Penticton, as well as the Post Office and a large modern house in Kelowna. Parker House was one of a number of smaller residences he designed in Penticton. It was built in 1940, the same year Lyon's modern Penticton City Hall was completed.

The house is aesthetically important as a complete example of the art moderne architectural style. This includes its series of rectangular blocks with a flat roof and rounded corners. The rows of windows extend around the corners, accentuating the streamlined look. The use of smooth stucco surfacing, rounded concrete steps and the addition of the coping at the roof line strengthen this effect.

The house is relatively unaltered, except for the conversion of the garage to a studio and the replacement of the original glass block windows to the right of the entrance door. The continuity of design adds to the architectural value of the building.

SOURCE: City of Penticton Files

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Parker House include its:

-association with Robert Lyon
-art moderne style of the house
-design details, including the flat roofs, rounded corners, groupings of windows, smooth stucco surface and coping at the roof line
-continuity of the original design intent
-compatible alteration of the attached garage