Following the end of the Great War and mass demobilization in Europe, soldiers in Canadian military hospitals in Britain were set to return back to Canada. Growing concerns over the possibility of overcrowding in hospitals in Vancouver and Victoria resulted in the Department of Soldiers Civil Reestablishment obtaining a lease to Craigdarroch Castle for conversion into a hospital. As a Canadian soldier returning from Europe, you have been sent to Craigdarroch for rest and recovery. Entering through the grand Garden Entrance doors, your eyes flit around the elaborately wood-panelled Main Hall. Looking up the staircase all the way to the top, the levels seem to go on forever as they snake upwards. The ornately carved quote on the fireplace might grab your attention, welcoming you to the place that you have come to recover and reintegrate back into life in Victoria. Other veterans pass you in the hall, some on their way outside to the vocational building on the South Lawn for a wickerwork workshop. ArtiFACT: while the Garden Entrance was not the main entrance that the Dunsmuirs used, it served as the main entrance for both veterans of Craigdarroch Military Hospital and students of Victoria College. Step into the alcove and feel the grooves on the marbled floor for yourself!
The Library - Radiators
You might notice the circular radiators masquerading as end tables on either side of the thistle window. These are part of the Castle’s original steam heating system from when the Dunsmuirs were in residence. When the building was converted into a military hospital, more radiators were added, like the one that sits outside the door of the library.
The Garden Entrance - Baby Carriage
One of the projects that veterans at Craigdarroch Military Hospital might work on are mending wickerwork on objects such as the baby carriage in the Garden Entrance. There is evidence of where this pram has been repaired, evident only by a slight difference in the colour of the wicker. ArtiFACT: This carriage in particular was repaired by a Canadian veteran who had been blinded during the First World War.
The Drawing Room - Recreation Room
This impressive room now serves as the recreation room for the veterans. The two fireplaces on either side of the room stand unused, with heat provided by additional radiators for consistent comfort. Like the Dunsmuir daughters, maybe you use this room to practice a musical instrument in your downtime. Maybe you play a game of checkers with fellow patients. Tipping your head back, you admire the elaborately painted ceiling, reminiscent of the room’s past as an opulent drawing room.
The Dining Room - Diet Kitchens
Patients at Craigdarroch Military Hospital would enjoy food in prepared in the adjacent kitchen, newly renovated by the DSCR. Additionally, the hospital also had two diet kitchens for preparing food for patients with dietary restrictions. Food was delivered to the diet kitchen on the second floor by a dumbwaiter from the pantry below and dispensed from steam tables. ArtiFACT: you’ll see where the diet kitchen was when you get to the second floor on the back half of the house!
The Landing
Here, the chatter of fellow veterans on other floors floats down to you. You whistle a tune as you work your way up the stairs, the impressive acoustics carrying your music upwards towards the Tower.
The Sitting Room - Sewing Tools
In this room, there are some sewing tools that you might be familiar with as a patient at Craigdarroch. Sewing and knitting were common skills practiced at Craigdarroch to increase dexterity and exercise fine motor skills. You might use scissors and a thimble from a needlework kit, like the heart-shaped one on the table, to mend a garment.
Jessie's Bedroom - Invalid's Table
Patients on bed rest might use an invalid’s table, like the one that sits beside the bed in Jessie’s bedroom. These tables are designed to be used over beds for eating or writing. Like the one displayed in this room, patients might have used them to write letters to loved ones from the comfort of their beds. ArtiFACT: the Victorian inventor who is credited with creating “Invalid Furniture”, John Carter, also invented the Literary Machine. You can find one of these in Craigdarroch’s library!
The Landing
Passing the landing between the second and third floors, a curious little creature peeks its head around a wooden post protruding from the ceiling. While you might be unfamiliar with why the home’s previous owners chose this particular design element, it brings a smile to your face as you pass it.ArtiFACT: this salamander was added to the home to protect against fire! Salamanders are believed to be fireproof in Celtic mythology.
Billiard Room - Billiard Table
To aid in the recovery of their patients, the Department of Soldiers Civil Reestablishment sought to establish a home-like environment at Craigdarroch. Shortly after the hospital was opened, a call was put out for the donation of two billiard tables and gymnasium equipment. One of these tables was installed in the recreation room in the former Dunsmuir drawing room. After a wickerwork workshop on the South Lawn, you might choose to relax with fellow patients by playing a game of billiards on a table such as the impressive example in the Billiard Room. ArtiFACT: According to Bruce Davies, former Craigdarroch curator, “billiards, snooker, tennis and related games were recognized to be helpful in re-establishing hand-eye coordination.” Doctors sought not only to strengthen patient’s coordination but also to lift their spirits.
Robert Dunsmuir Harvey's Bedroom - Military Men
This bedroom houses both objects and stories familiar to those who served in the military. Robert Dunsmuir Harvey joined the Queen’s 4th Hussars upon graduation from the Royal Military College and served in India as a Lieutenant. A watercolour painting of him can be seen on the wall to the left of the fireplace, as well as a helmet like one that he would have worn. This room would serve also as a living room for Craigdarroch caretaker, Robert Todd, during the Castle’s time as the administrative centre for the Victoria School Board. Toddserved in the First World War, where he sustained a backinjury. These stories are a few of the many people who served in the military and passed through Craigdarroch’s door.
Effie's Bedroom - Sir Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe
Effie’s husband, Sir Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe, is another military man connected to Craigdarroch’s history. He and Effie married in February 1900 at St. George’s, Hanover Square, London. Arthur was a prominent naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet during the later years of the First World War. After the First World War, he served as British Commissioner in the Ottoman Empire during the years of its partitioning. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in May 1925 and retired in 1930.
The Dance Hall - Vocational Workshop
From the vantage point of the window facing the South Lawn, you would be able to see the vocational building, nestled into the left corner of the lawn. Here, patients could partake in a variety of skill-building workshops in the machine shop, wood working room and basket room. Even before the First World War, craftwork was understood to be very beneficial for those suffering from both mental and physical ailments. The intent was to raise veterans’ morale, strengthen their bodies and spirits and to quickly reintegrate them into civilian life.
Military Galley - Hydrotherapy
This room houses evidence of what is believed to be hydrotherapy equipment. Observe the rectangle of concrete on the right side of the floor - it is believed today that this spot once held a hydrotherapy tub or equipment for patient therapy. As a veteran at Craigdarroch, you may have come to this room for a hydrotherapy session. According to Bruce Davies, Canadian military hospitals were at “the leading edge of treatment and rehabilitation practice.” Today, this room tells the story of Craigdarroch military hospital and the soldiers who were patients here.
Servants Quarters - Ward Aides and Nurses
In the Dunsmuir’s time, servants and other staff were essential to the maintenance of the home and the family. In the military hospital days, this role was embodied by ward aides and nurses. The most important members of hospital staff were specially trained women who often had overseas experience from the First World War. They helped veterans to raise their morale and develop skills through occupational therapy. Like the patients, these women had also been to war and veterans preferred to be treated by their “sisters-in-arms” because they felt that they could understand what the patients had been through.
Maud's Bedroom - Dunsmuir War Efforts
Many of the Dunsmuir family members aided in the war effort during both the First and Second World Wars. For example, Henrietta Maud, whose bedroom this is, and her husband’s house, “The House in the Wood”, was used as a headquarters for the British Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. Additionally, Mary Jean Croft, Maud’s older sister, was declared a “Lady of Grace” by the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem for her charitable work for the Order during the First World War. She also did other charitable work with the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire. Another Dunsmuir, James’ daughter Kathleen “Kat” Euphemia Dunsmuir, operated a canteen for British soldiers in France during the First and Second World Wars. She was unfortunately killed in a bomb blast in London in 1941.
Second Floor Back Hall
Notice the circular mouthpiece protruding from the wall to the left of the middle painting. This is a speaking tube - the Victorian equivalent of an intercom system. These tubes all led to the kitchen, where Dunsmuir staff could hear what the family members needed.
The Smoking Room - Cigar
In the smoking room today, you can find a commemorative cigar from Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. During he First World War, cigars were used as a form of currency amongst soldiers for bartering goods and services. They also were used to boost morale, providing an opportunity for soldiers to bond and share stories during times of stress or uncertainty. As a patient at Craigdarroch, you might reminisce on your times sharing stories over a cigar with your fellow soldiers, stealing a moment’s peace amongst the chaos of warfare.
The Breakfast Room - Stained Glass
As you pass by this green room, your eye might catch on the stained-glass windows twinkling in the morning light. The flowers on the left are morning glory, while the ones of the right are coltsfoot. Those familiar with morning glory know that these flowers open early in the day, making them an apt choice for display in the former Dunsmuir breakfast room. Coltsfoot flowers symbolize transition, the coming of spring and the hope of new beginnings. This is a sentiment that many Craigdarroch patients might identify with, hoping for new beginnings after the war.
The End
As your time in the Castle ends, we invite you to reflect on the experience you had today. We hope you have enjoyed stepping into the past!
