Fort Vancouver Historic Structures Report

Landscaping

a. Cannons. As early as 1832 visitors reported that Fort Vancouver contained cannons of large caliber, and by 1834 the location of four of these guns, two "long 18's" and two nine-pounders, was fixed as being in front of the chief factor's residence. Over the next decade or so there were conflicting accounts by travelers as to the sizes and numbers of these guns, but the location seems never to have varied. A detailed account of the evidence on this score has been given elsewhere so need not concern us here. [150]

By 1841 it seems reasonably certain that there were only the two 18-pounders, with a few piled shot, on the ground before the house, centered between the two flights of the stairs and pointing south toward the river. The guns were mounted on sea carriages, which even then were "defective." The pieces had been spiked and were quite useless. [151]

The same condition still prevailed in the 1845-1846 period. Lieutenant Vavasour of the Royal Engineers noted the two 18-pounder guns at the post. [152] The Coode water color sketch shows the same armament, each gun with a pile of shot before it (see plates XI and XII). This drawing also indicates that the equipment required to operate the guns -- ramrods, sponges, etc. -- was kept ready to hand on racks attached to the veranda wall.

The guns were still in place as late as May, 1860, when the British Boundary Commission party photographed the Big House. Even the round shot was there, though somewhat scattered about. Probably these pictures provide enough details to permit replacement of the weapons (see plates XXVII and XXIX). If not, the 1878 photograph of a similar gun at Moose Factory should be helpful (see plate LXVI).

During archeological excavations in 1971 several cannon balls were found in the area in front of the Big House. Another object, "a possible gun carriage part," was uncovered in the same vicinity. J. J. Hoffman, Project Archeologist, believes these items to be remains of the armament display which added to the character and impressiveness of the governor's mansion throughout its entire existence. [153] If so, they may serve as reminders of the harsh discipline which was an integral part of the fur trade, since the guns in front of the Big House formed the posts at which transgressors against Company rules and regulations received corporal punishment. [154]

b. Garden. Dr. McLoughlin's house, said Lieutenant Wilkes in 1841, had "small flower-beds, with grape and other vines, in front." [155] The Coode water color sketch of 1846-1847 confirms this description, for it shows a low, white wooden fence in front of the veranda, behind which green foliage can be seen. This same fence, or a virtually identical replacement, can be clearly observed in the 1860 photographs.

Archeological excavations in 1971 revealed evidence of this fence, which Mr. J. J. Hoffman, Project Archeologist, describes as of "a late period." The archeologists were impressed by the care with which this feature was constructed: "Primary supports for the fence consisted of squared, vertical posts set into subsurface wooden footings. In turn, the wooden footings rested on bricks that served as supportive and leveling devices." [156] The dimensions of the fence have already been discussed in the section on footings.

The grapevines which twined up the front of the veranda were long one of the best-known features of Fort Vancouver. On September 25, 1843, Clerk Thomas Lowe remarked in his journal: "grapes in front of Big House still green." [157] In 1851 newly arrived emigrant John S. Zeiber commented on the "fine grape vines loaded with fruit" that screened the porch. [158] The well-matured vines practically covered the front of the house by 1860 as is shown by the photographs of that year. By then arches of metal rod or pipe had been installed at each end of the porch, evidently to support the vines.

Nothing is known about the types of flowers grown in the plots before the Big House. In a restoration, dahlias would not be inappropriate, since Dr. William Fraser Tolmie imported seeds of this plant in 1833 from Honolulu and sowed them under frame at Fort Vancouver, thus introducing this beautiful flower to the Pacific Northwest. [159]