John Woods, named most appropriately for his occupation as timber merchant, built 70 Albert Street in 1884. At the time he died in 1900 he owned 40 properties, mainly in the inner suburbs including his large timber yard in Fitzroy, but also some in regional Victoria, however Albert Street was not among them. By this time Arthur Woods, his son, was owner and occupier, and it could be that John had given the house to Arthur as a wedding present. Arthur was married in 1895.
In 1929 Miss Emma Glasson, saleswoman, became owner and occupier. Around 1944 she married Arthur Reginald Thompson, engineer, and she remained there with him throughout his life, and later as his widow until shortly before her own death in 1979 at the age of 89 in Hawthorn. She still owned the house she called Tresco. It was described at the time as “a 6 roomed brick residence very old in bad repair” and valued at $45,500.