Eric Bishop is a modest and frank man, who has lived in an old farmhouse in the Fulton Place neighbourhood for several decades.

“We first came here and purchased that house in 1967, so you tell me how many years,” Bishop said, when asked how long he had lived in the home, with a wry smile.

Bishop, his wife, and their two sons – then aged 6 and 4-years-old, moved to Edmonton from England for his work.

“It was the only place that offered a job that I thought was any use,” Bishop said. “We knew nobody when we came, we were offered the job, and came, and that’s it.”

Bishop said the family’s reasons for picking the home, located on 50 Street and 101 Avenue, were simple – more space.

“It was just a two storey house, which was twice as good as the one we had in England, twice as big, twice as useful,” Bishop said. “It was a nice old house, and it reminded us of England because we could go upstairs to bed.

“We didn’t realize it had any historic value at all.”

The home was built in 1906, and when the Bishops moved in, was on a street full of new bungalows.

Bishop said the family that lived in the home in the early 20th century had moved to British Columbia after living in the home.

Renovations and changes made to the home in the century since it was built have kept it from earning an historical designation, but its significance in the neighbourhood remains – the home is also the subject of a painting by the owner.

On Thursday, the former industrial arts teacher had a little help with the finishing touches of his artwork from students at Hardisty School.

When it’s completed – the piece will be on display inside the school, an honour not lost on the students who helped Bishop Thursday.

“It looks cool, and he did some of it in our studio, and it’s going to be on the walls in our school,” Juliana said, she and some of her classmates helped add flowers to part of the painting.

After a 40-year teaching career, Bishop was glad to head back to school – although the idea behind the project wasn’t his.

“I was kind of persuaded to do it,” Bishop said. “I thought it was a good idea, but it’s not my concept, it’s something that was kind of developed.

“It’s nice that they were able to do that.”

As for the future of the piece, Bishop’s innate modesty showed through – he said he did the painting out of his own interest, and called the plan for the painting to be on display in the school a “sensible arrangement”.

“I don’t think this painting that I’ve done is particularly inspired,” Bishop said, with a smile.