Comments on: Switzer House (1960-1971)

By: Kristina

Kristina — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 05:15:12 +0000

Oh my gosh, this is so awesome that I finally came across a posting and information about this house that I remember so well as a kid!! We drove past it countless times on our way to Horseshoe Bay or Squamish back in the days. Me and my sister and brothers always thought it was so cool! Like many people, we also called it the Jetson House!! Such a great memory from the good old days!

By: Don

Don — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 02:47:04 +0000

In reply to Eve Lazarus. Dad still lives on 9th Street looking back at the Switzer house. Every house in the neighbourhood built by Switzer and Cowan was painted pink and green. I grew up with a pink and green bathroom.

By: Kimberly Goodall

Kimberly Goodall — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 03:27:16 +0000

Did the house have an elevator from the stem that the four wings came from?

By: Daryl Parsons

Daryl Parsons — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:34:49 +0000

Hello Eve:
Henry Switzer was my grandfathers’ brother and I was born while my parents and grandparents were working and living with Henry building the high school and city hall in Rossland. He was a superintendent for Marwell Construction and employed my dad and grandfather there and other sites around BC. I have lots of memories of Uncle Henry, his house, gold teeth, pink cadillacs and his band called Curley Switzer and the Mountain Boys. I believe I actually have photos of the house on the Upper Levels Highway, some sheet music and at least one of his records. I have good memories of time spent in their house listening to him yodell and sing “High on Grouse Mountain” with aunt Eleanor. If I can be of assistance on your blog you are welcome to contact me. PS. The house did not rotate and a little tidbit that I distinctly remember is one of the last construction projects Henry did in Vancouver was the coloured lines and courts at the Vancouver Tennis Club at 16th and Fir. He subcontracted to a company called Norwood Construction to place the courts. I remember 45 gallon drums of colouring that his crew mixed and poured under the suspended roof of the courts. That was a few years before he passed in Dec 1976

By: Doug Parks

Doug Parks — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 23:40:11 +0000

In reply to Barb. WOW,,,I am absolutely blown away. Thank you for commenting. Its hard to find many friends / contacts from that far back. Questions , my oh my Ive got questions. If our hostess were to give you my contact info maybe you could answer some of the questions. I hope you and your family are all doing well.

By: Barb

Barb — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 19:28:23 +0000

In reply to Doug Parks. Doug! Back in the day, we lived in the duplex in front at 1261 Barclay - small world!

By: suzanne

suzanne — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 01:46:09 +0000

I remember this house so well! We used to pass it everytime we drove out to my grandpa’s boat at Eagle Harbour!

By: Varick Hewitt Ernst

Varick Hewitt Ernst — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 18:09:44 +0000

I seem to remember that the house rotated to catch the sun and the changing views!
I may be dreaming . We lived on Keith Road in the 1000 block.
Varick Hewitt Ernst

By: Gary Sim

Gary Sim — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 20:24:33 +0000

Eve,

Thank you for this article. My dad designed and built a house a little ways away on the edge of Capilano River around 1960, and I have always remembered the Switzer house (without knowing its name). At one point years later I looked for it, and assumed that it had been demolished as part of the Upper Levels highway construction.

Cheers,
Gary

By: Bork Brian David

Bork Brian David — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 01:01:41 +0000

In reply to Bork Brian David. The street level pics are old.The hedge is gone on the lower entrance and the driveway was re blacktoped in August.

By: Bork Brian David

Bork Brian David — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 00:50:08 +0000

I live in that house.Mine can be viewed on Google Earthmap. My address is 12622, 48th street east. Edgewood, Washington. 98372. Mine is built on the crest of a hill.It has two driveways,upper and lower.

By: Harry

Harry — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 22:58:14 +0000

I will always remember this house. If I remember correctly it was one of the last standing then torn down to make room for the new Upper Levels Hwy.?

By: Paul McNicholls

Paul McNicholls — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 15:16:58 +0000

I remember passing this house as a young boy after I arrived in Canada in 1966. We lived near Horseshoe Bay for the first 6 months and so drove passed it regularly on trips to Vancouver. I thought it was so cool. My dad had a different opinion, though more so due to his view on the cost of heating the place. I’ve thought about the house over the many years that have gone since I last saw it sitting derelict. I have even told my wife and children about it. It popped into my head today and so I decided to search it. It was nice to find this information about it.

By: Bev

Bev — Wed, 16 May 2018 22:58:05 +0000

Loved this house. We lived on the north side of the highway and some of my parent’s p roperty was also expropriated when they widened the highway.

By: Canadian History Roundup – Week of February 19, 2017 | Unwritten Histories

Canadian History Roundup – Week of February 19, 2017 | Unwritten Histories — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 18:03:10 +0000

[…] Lazarus looks at the history of Switzer House, an experiment in radical architecture, situated on the North Shore of […]

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 17:27:29 +0000

Loved that house, so sad when it was gone. We made models from balsa wood in elementary school (Cedardale), and I made a model of that house.

By: Doug Parks

Doug Parks — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 02:04:20 +0000

When I first discovered your blog I asked you about this home. You told me to look up Switzer House which I did. That house was on my dads sight seeing tour. When relatives came to visit they were taken through Stanley Park , up to the suspension bridge and the Cleveland Dam. Past the Switzer House on the way to Trolls at Horseshoe Bay. Between living in one of those beautiful old West End homes (1257 Barclay St.) and the surrounding area it truly was like living in paradise. Everyone from the prairies was blown away by the Jetsons house.

By: David Chesney

David Chesney — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 20:59:03 +0000

Growing up in Surrey in the 60’s at least once a year we travelled north to Britannia Beach to visit Dad’s relatives. One of the highlights coming and going was to look for “we called it The Jetson’s house.) You come up with such neat history Eve.

Keep it coming.

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 20:28:58 +0000

OMG what a memory! I remember that house so well. I loved it and asked my uncle, who was a builder, if he’d build me a house like that when I grew up. He said he would and after that it became known as my house! I wanted a skating rink in the middle! Thanks for this great post – still laughing.