Built between 1853 and 1856 for the McKenzie family by the Puget’s Sound Agricultural Company—a subsidiary of the Hudson’s Bay Company—the Manor is a remarkable example of early colonial architecture and Scottish influence on the West Coast.

Craigflower Manor was originally the centrepiece of Craigflower Farm, one of four colonial farms established to support early settlement on Vancouver Island. Overseen by Kenneth McKenzie, Victoria’s first Farm Bailiff, the Manor served not only as a family residence but also as a social and administrative hub during the colony’s formative years.

From 1856 to 1865, the Manor was a gathering place for Victoria’s early settlers and visiting Royal Navy officers from nearby Esquimalt. Its location—on a scenic knoll overlooking Craigflower Bridge and the Gorge Waterway—provided both strategic and aesthetic value.