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W.J. Mathers House 'Altnadene' Gate & Wall
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark858
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The gate and wall of the W.J. Mathers House 'Altnadene' form an integral part of the heritage character of this historic estate, which includes a two-and-one-half storey wood frame house set in a large terraced garden, now located in Deer Lake Park. Built as a family home, it is designed in the Bri…
- Associated Dates
- 1912
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- William & Mary Mathers Residence
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- William & Mary Mathers Residence
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Associated Dates
- 1912
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 13196
- Enactment Date
- 13/05/2013
- Description
- The gate and wall of the W.J. Mathers House 'Altnadene' form an integral part of the heritage character of this historic estate, which includes a two-and-one-half storey wood frame house set in a large terraced garden, now located in Deer Lake Park. Built as a family home, it is designed in the British Arts and Crafts style enriched by Tudor, Romanesque, and medieval details.
- Heritage Value
- 'Altnadene' was constructed in the Deer Lake Crescent subdivision, which was originally promoted as an upper class neighbourhood. It represents one of the first residential developments in the City of Burnaby that required buildings to be of a specific value, thus demonstrating the desire for exclusivity among the successful businessmen who chose to settle in the area. The house and grounds illustrate the social, cultural, lifestyle and leisure sensibilities of the owners in the Deer Lake Crescent subdivision: such values as social aspiration, racial exclusivity, demonstration of architectural taste, importance of a landscaped garden, and the provision of facilities for fashionable pursuits such as lawn tennis. The estate is historically significant for its connection to William John Mathers (1859-1929), an early pioneer who arrived in New Westminster in 1876, an enterprising grain dealer, businessman, alderman, president of the Board of Trade and various other local organizations, and a 'public spirited and progressive citizen.' The landscape of the estate featured a landmark granite capstone wall and wrought iron gate surrounding the front garden and terraced lawns of the mansion. The overall architectural intention was to reference medieval English estates by surrounding the ‘castle’ with a stone wall with gated entrances. The stone material for the construction of the wall was quarried from large ‘glacial erratic’ granite boulders found on the property. The highly decorative wrought iron gate was designed and made by artisan James A. Blair, a Scottish blacksmith employed by the Westminster Iron Works in 1912. The design for the 'double' driveway gate was featured in the company’s original catalogue as 'Design No. 152'. These gates are a very unusual and rare example of their type and are some of the most elaborate surviving examples in the City.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the gate and wall at 'Altnadene' include its: - wrought iron gates, massive gate-posts inscribed with 'Altnadene' and granite walls at the corner entry of the property
- Locality
- Deer Lake Park
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Organization
- Westminster Iron Works
- Function
- Primary Current--Recreation Centre
- Primary Historic--Estate
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 007-527-241 Legal Description: Lot 'B', District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 6642
- Boundaries
- 'Altnadene' is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6490 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
- Area
- 17,065.00
- Contributing Resource
- Landscape Feature
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Street Address
- 6490 Deer Lake Avenue
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Central Park Entrance Gate
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark544
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The Central Park Entrance Gate is the ceremonial entrance to Burnaby’s historic Central Park from Kingsway, and consists of two massive stone pillars, approximately 7.5 metres high and 1.8 metres square, adjacent gate posts and a low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east.
- Associated Dates
- 1913
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- Imperial Street
- Associated Dates
- 1913
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 9807
- Enactment Date
- 23/11/1992
- Description
- The Central Park Entrance Gate is the ceremonial entrance to Burnaby’s historic Central Park from Kingsway, and consists of two massive stone pillars, approximately 7.5 metres high and 1.8 metres square, adjacent gate posts and a low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east.
- Heritage Value
- The Central Park Entrance Gate is significant as a ceremonial entry to a major park, for its connection with the early history of the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) and as an important design by an accomplished British Columbian architect. When the original interurban line between Vancouver and New Westminster was constructed in 1891, one of the first stations was located where the tramway crossed the Vancouver-Westminster Road (now Kingsway) within the newly-created Central Park. The interurban line ran through the park on a diagonal right-of-way (the current SkyTrain line, opened in 1986, follows this original alignment). In 1912 an agreement was reached between the successor interurban company, the BCER, and the Central Park Provincial Park Board, to deed additional land for an expanded right-of-way through the Park in exchange for improvements that included the construction of an ornamental stone wall and gate with an iron arch, with an illuminated 'Central Park' sign, adjacent to the interurban station on Kingsway. This was an early and rare example of an electric sign used for a public recreation facility. The Gate is also significant as a surviving early design by Robert Lyon (1879-1963), an Edinburgh-born and trained immigrant who was one of the most accomplished of British Columbia's early architects. After he moved to Vancouver, he was employed by the BCER from 1911 until 1918, and worked on a broad range of projects including some of the grandest and most innovative local industrial structures of the time. The arch was built by the Westminster Ironworks Company, one of the leading firms of its kind in Western Canada, operated by John Reid of New Westminster. The Gate was completed in 1914; in 1968 the decorative ironwork was removed due to corrosion and placed in storage.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the Central Park Entrance Gate include its: - two subtly tapered massive stone pillars, which rise in stages from a larger base to a shaft with random coursed multi-coloured granite with roughly formed grey granite quoins, to a top formed of finely finished grey granite blocks with a coved and bracketed cap - adjacent gate posts with monolithic pyramidal granite caps - low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east, constructed of random coursed multi-coloured granite with a river rock triangular cap
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
- Architect
- Robert Lyon
- Builder
- John Reid
- Westminster Iron Works Co.
- Function
- Primary Current--Park Fixture
- Primary Historic--Park Fixture
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 017-767-172 Legal Description: Block B of Lot 2 Except Firstly: Part on Plan 8669 and Secondly: Part on Plan LMP4689 District Lot 151, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 3443
- Boundaries
- The property (Central Park) is a municipally-owned park that lies at the western edge of Burnaby, between 49th Avenue to the south, Kingsway to the north, Boundary Road to the west and Patterson Avenue to the east.
- Area
- 853,403.82
- Contributing Resource
- Structure
- Landscape Feature
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Names
- Lyon, Robert
- Reid, John
- Westminster Iron Works Company
- British Columbia Electric Railway Company
- Central Park Provincial Park Board
- Subjects
- Structures - Fences
- Street Address
- 3883 Imperial Street
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
