A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG HOUSE

In 1903, the Armstrong residence was constructed for Herbert C. Armstrong, who co-owned The Big Cash Store with his brother-in-law and neighbor, William Foreman, at 2415 Okanagan Street. The store was situated at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Blvd. and Okanagan Street, where Rose Valley Square’s parking lot currently exists.

The Armstrong house, a one and a half storey Edwardian bungalow, features classical proportions, a central hipped dormer, and a deeply inset veranda. Although the front door was initially centered on the front façade, it has since been relocated to the left. The solarium on the house’s left side might have once been an extension of the front veranda but is now enclosed. The home even still includes the original wooden front steps off the veranda. Originally, the house is clad in white clapboard.

More recently, solar panels were added to 2 sides of the home’s roof to take advantage of as much sunlight as available to help offset the home’s power usage. We installed 24 panels which can generate about 55kwh/day.

About Herbert C. Armstrong

For who Armstrong House is named

Born in Ontario, Herbert practiced optometry in Vancouver before moving to Armstrong to operate The Big Cash Store, where he continued his optometry practice in the back. His wife May, also born in Ontario, had four children with Herbert: Howard, Ross, Jeanette, and Kay. The Armstrong children frequently played with their cousins living next door.

In 1924, the family relocated to Vancouver, but Herbert remained in Armstrong, and the family home was sold to the McLean family, who lived there until 1933 when they moved to Vancouver. The Armstrong’s then repurchased the home and returned to Armstrong, hoping to convince Herbert to join them in Vancouver.

Howard, Herbert’s son, had returned to Armstrong to assist with managing the store. In Herbert’s daughter’s memoirs, she mentioned, “Howard realized that Dad would never move back to Vancouver unless we came up and made him move back.”

The family remained in Armstrong for two more years before moving back to Vancouver, where Herbert resumed his optometry practice. They continued to own the Armstrong house for several years after relocating to Vancouver. Tax records show that Mrs. May Armstrong held ownership until 1943, when C.E. Clay acquired the property, followed by J.R. Clarke, a well-known Armstrong jeweler, the subsequent year.

Around 1955, Denis Stubbs, an English teacher who later became the principal of Armstrong High School, purchased the house. Denis and his family eventually moved to Duncan, where he taught agriculture and physics. The house was subsequently sold to George Hare.

Unfortunately not much else is known as a major fire devastated Armstrong and many historical records were lost.