Victoria’s ‘Haunted” Architect

You may recognize the names of renowned Victoria architects Samuel Maclure and Francis Rattenbury who’s as well remembered for his having been murdered by his wife’s lover as he is for having designed the B.C. Parliament Buildings.

But how about Thomas Hooper?

Not only are his wonderful creations all over the Greater Victoria landscape but he has left another, far, far more tantalizing legacy. Many of his homes and buildings are believed to be haunted!

So much so that some honestly believe that he practised black magic while achieving his architect’s credentials—that he baptized his first buildings with human sacrifices.

Sound far-fetched?

Of course it is. But those stories about his creations, some of them credibly vouched for, of ghostly images, mysterious doings and things that go bump in the night are too many to be ignored. Hence his title among paranormalists as “the haunted architect.”

You’ll hear the whole ghostly tale in next week’s Chronicles.

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