Joanne Baines, current owner of 206 Hawkins Street, says she can’t remember who told her that Albert Henderson built the house for his sweetheart, but the first time she walked in, she knew the house was now hers.
To restore the house, however, would bring alive the love the builder put into it so long ago.
Baines bought the house about five years ago. She has poured her heart, soul and money into the restoration.
She has been careful to re-use material taken from the home during restoration. For example, railing poles were relocated to the bottom of the basement stairs for an extended banister leading into the finished lower floor.
Baines removed old faded wallpaper herself to reveal 11-inch cedar planks, stamped with the White Pass and Yukon Route markings, originally used as shipping crates to ship supplies to the Yukon.
The Scott House, as 206 Hawkins has come to be known as, was built between 1908 and 1910 by Albert Henderson. He was a riverboat captain and, as such, had access to ship timbers and wood.
The living room, today, features the thick wooden planks used throughout the house. Baines drywalled the dining room to vary the wall finishings, a contrast that highlights the beams.
The front entry features stunning parquet flooring, also riverboat building material.
Two spectacular stained glass windows are featured – one in the front door and one in the living room.
The house was owned by the Scott family over two separate time frames. John Henderson Scott purchased the house in 1927 and lived there for 10 years.
In 1954, John Delbert Scott (J. H. Scott’s son) purchased the house and remained there until his death.
In the 1930s, a field stone fireplace was added to the living room.
Scott added a 20-foot extension at the back of the house in 1955 and dug a basement. The extension created a huge kitchen.
The kitchen features are vintage 1950s. The electric stove still works.
The house needed renovation when Baines purchased it. She reduced the bathroom and created a small room off of the dining room.
Baines found many samples of Yukon rock in and around the property. The younger Scott was a miner and geological engineer. Baines placed some of the best examples in a paved sidewalk up to the front porch.
She has the house up for sale now. If the right person comes along, it will sell. If not, Baines has no problem retaining ownership. She loves the house in much the same way as Albert Henderson once loved it as he shared it with his sweetheart.
