Flames torches historic farmhouse
Cause of late-evening blaze under investigation
A 114-year-old Rutland farmhouse, which was to have featured in a major redevelopment of the property, has been heavily damaged by fire.
Retention of the facade of the Sproul House, at the corner of Highway 33 and Sadler Road, was planned as part of a five-storey, 72-unit mixed-use project.
The two-storey home, built in 1906 but in poor condition in recent years, caught fire about 9 p.m.
Despite the efforts of 21 firefighters using a variety of equipment, flames spread quickly through the 114-year-old home.
“The building sustained major fire damage to the exterior and the roof area,” Kelowna Fire Department platoon captain Kelly Stephens said in a release issued late Sunday.
“The cause of the fire is suspicious and will be investigated in the morning,” Stephens said.
The Sproul farmhouse is one of the few Rutland locations on the City of Kelowna’s list of heritage properties.
Designation on the list, however, is more a matter of public interest as it in most cases does not prevent a building’s demolition or substantial renovation.
Samuel and Bob Sproul were Americans who came to the Okanagan in 1893 on a covered wagon train. They brought part of an orchard from Australian John Matthew
Rutland, for whom the community is named.
In December 2018, a developer presented plans to the city that showed a major new residential project on the site. The developer was unaware at the time, city officials say, that the Sproul House was on the city’s heritage register.
In August 2019, the developer asked for a Heritage Register Removal Request, that would have allowed for the Sproul House to be demolished. The city’s advisory heritage committee recommended the permit not be granted.
Subsequently, city officials and the develop
ers had discussions about ways in which part of the old farmhouse could be preserved as part of the new project.
In November 2019, a plan was presented to council that showed part of the old home’s exterior would be retained.
“Due to the deterioration of the house, only two of the four facades would be retained and incorporated into the commercial-residential unit,” reads part of a city staff report to council.
City council subsequently approved the project, granting a 2.5 metre height variance and a nine-stall parking variance.