H.T. Ceperley Estate 'Fairacres' Mansion
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- 'Fairacres' is a large, two-and-one-half storey estate house in the British Arts and Crafts style, located in Deer Lake Park, with four associated original outbuildings.
- Associated Dates
- 1911
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- Henry Tracy & Grace Ceperley Estate
- Burnaby Art Gallery
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- Henry Tracy & Grace Ceperley Estate
- Burnaby Art Gallery
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Associated Dates
- 1911
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 9807
- Enactment Date
- 23/11/1992
- Description
- 'Fairacres' is a large, two-and-one-half storey estate house in the British Arts and Crafts style, located in Deer Lake Park, with four associated original outbuildings.
- Heritage Value
- 'Fairacres' is important as a record of the early years of Burnaby, specifically the Deer Lake area, as a place of tranquility and beautiful scenery in which the wealthy and successful in the burgeoning cities of New Westminster and Vancouver chose to retire or to make their family homes. The main house, which anchors in style and setting the outbuildings on the estate, demonstrates the social, cultural, and aesthetic values of local wealthy businessmen and women of the early twentieth century - values such as appreciation of architectural elegance and grand interior spaces, leisure and recreation, formal landscaped gardens and scenic views.
Also important is the association with the English-born and trained architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), as this was one of his grandest residential commissions. Steeped in the current architectural trends in Great Britain, Fripp designed this sprawling mansion in the Arts and Crafts style, reflected in the architectural detailing and proportions. The style was common at the time and was often used for estate mansions as a symbol of affluence and good, modern taste as well as an affinity for all things British. Quality is displayed inside and out in the finishes and materials, orchestrated by prominent local contractor, James Charles Allen, including imported English materials of specific value such as imported Medmenham tiles in the fireplace surrounds, one of the earliest documented use of these tiles outside the United Kingdom. Detailed features of the interior woodwork were carved by Scottish-born master wood carver George Selkirk Gibson (1867-1942), who was best known for his many commissions for prominent British Columbia architect Samuel Maclure.
The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are an important record of the functioning of a large estate of the time. The Garage and Stables and the Chauffeur’s Cottage accommodated the use of automobiles, horses and carriages, and in concert with the estate's location near the new British Columbia Electric Railway 'Burnaby Lake' interurban line, illustrate the evolving nature of regional transportation and the growing bedroom communities and estates made possible by increasing options for transportation. Other outbuildings accommodated the agricultural activities that helped support the Ceperley estate.
The estate was conceived and funded by American-born Grace E. Dixon Ceperley (1863-1917), who had achieved significant wealth through a bequest from her brother-in-law, Vancouver pioneer Arthur Ferguson. Her husband, Henry Tracy Ceperley (1850-1929), also American-born, was a successful and well-respected businessman who made a significant contribution to the development of the City of Vancouver. The construction of 'Fairacres' spawned the transformation of the Deer Lake area from a farming community into a preferred location for elite suburban homes.
'Fairacres' is significant to the City of Burnaby as its first civic heritage conservation project. Acquired in 1966 for conversion to Burnaby’s first art gallery, it was dedicated in 1967 to mark Canada’s Centennial of Confederation.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the ‘Fairacres’ mansion include its:
- setting in relation to the gardens, its former market garden, and the vistas to Deer Lake and other grand homes in the area
- side gable roof with prominent dormers and cedar shingle cladding
- verandah across the eastern (garden) facade, with its view over the landscaped gardens and the distant mountains
- porte cochere with its side steps for those arriving by automobile, and central raised step for those alighting from horse-drawn carriages
- rich variety of exterior elements that demonstrate the typical Arts and Crafts use of local materials such as cobble stone chimneys and foundations, wide wooden siding and half-timbering
- mixture of double-hung and casement wooden-sash windows, many with multi-paned sash
- lavish interior spaces, designed for entertaining on a grand scale, including a billiard room with a beamed ceiling and an inglenook fireplace, and generous living and dining rooms arranged off a central hall
- quality of the interior materials such as imported Medmenham tiles in fireplace surrounds, window hardware by Hope and Sons, and leaded stained glass
- interior wood work including the staircase, and carvings by George Selkirk Gibson
- remaining formal Edwardian garden landscape elements, including the cross-axial plan that reflects the relationship of the mansion to its 'outdoor rooms'
- Locality
- Deer Lake Park
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Architect
- Robert Mackay Fripp
- Builder
- James Charles Allen
- George Selkirk Gibson
- Function
- Primary Current--Museum
- Primary Historic--Estate
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 004-493-311
Legal Description: Block 3 Except: Part subdivided by Plan 26865, District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 536
- Boundaries
- ‘Fairacres’ is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
- Area
- 17,065.00
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Landscape Feature
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Other Collection
- City of Burnaby, Visual Art Collection: Original rendering by R.P.S. Twizell
Burnaby Historical Society, Community Archives: Ceperley Photograph Album
Burnaby Village Museum, Collection: Carved dining room panels by G.S. Gibson and other hardware items
- Documentation
- Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
- Names
- Ceperley, Grace
- Ceperley, H.T.
- Fripp, Robert Mackay
- Allen, James Charles
- Gibson, George Selkirk
- Subjects
- Buildings - Heritage
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Buildings - Residential
- Street Address
- 6344 Deer Lake Avenue
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Less detail
H.T. Ceperley Estate 'Fairacres' Chauffeur's Cottage
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the Chauffeur's Cottage is situated across from the main entrance to the Ceperley Mansion, and adjacent to the Garage and Stables. A long, narrow single-storey building, it was constructed by joining together two modest estate cottages.
- Associated Dates
- 1911
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Associated Dates
- 1911
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 9807
- Enactment Date
- 23/11/1992
- Description
- Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the Chauffeur's Cottage is situated across from the main entrance to the Ceperley Mansion, and adjacent to the Garage and Stables. A long, narrow single-storey building, it was constructed by joining together two modest estate cottages.
- Heritage Value
- The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are a rare surviving architecturally designed ensemble of agricultural structures that exist in complementary harmony with the main estate house. Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917) was retained by the Ceperleys to design several original outbuildings on their estate at the same time as the main house was constructed.
The Chauffeur's Cottage illustrates the increasing importance of the automobile in the lives of the wealthy of the early twentieth century. It also demonstrates Grace and Henry Tracy Ceperley's social aspirations and grand-country-estate pretension in having a chauffeur. The cottage's location - close to the garage and convenient, but not adjacent, to the main house - enhances the grand country house landscape design and contributes to the overall composition of the estate's plan.
The Arts and Crafts styled Chauffeur's Cottage is important as an indicator of the aesthetic and social sensibilities of the Ceperley family in retaining an architect to design a modest building for staff accommodation.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the 'Fairacres' Chauffeur's Cottage include its:
- location, in relation to the main house and in close proximity to the Garage and Stables buildings
- side gable roof with cedar shingle cladding
- Arts and Crafts architectural features such as the jerkin-headed door hood, a reference to the thatched-roofed cottages of southern England; eight-paned wooden-sash casement windows; and cedar-shingled exterior
- two internal brick chimneys
- modest, functional interior, with simple trim and lack of pretension
- Locality
- Deer Lake Park
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Architect
- Robert Mackay Fripp
- Function
- Primary Historic--Outbuilding
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 004-493-311
Legal Description: Block 3 Except: Part subdivided by Plan 26865, District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 536
- Boundaries
- ‘Fairacres’ is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
- Area
- 17,065.00
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Landscape Feature
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Other Collection
- Burnaby Historical Society, Community Archives: Ceperley Photograph Album
Burnaby Village Museum, Collection: Chinese ‘Tiger Whiskey’ and opium bottles found during restoration
- Documentation
- Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
- Names
- Ceperley, H.T.
- Ceperley, Grace
- Fripp, Robert Mackay
- Subjects
- Buildings - Heritage
- Buildings - Residential - Cottages
- Street Address
- 6344 Deer Lake Avenue
Less detail
Brook family home
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1919
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.9 x 11.4 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the Brook family home at 7979 12th Avenue, East Burnaby. This house later became the Normanna Rest Home, 7725 4th Street.
Brook family house
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1919
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.9 x 11.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the Brook family home at 7979 12th Avenue, East Burnaby. This house later became the Normanna Rest Home, 7725 4th Street.
Shearer Shack
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911
- Collection/Fonds
- Shearer Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jim Shearer, his wife Katherine (Dormer), and their daughter, Katie, posed in front of the temporary shelter erected at 5573 Buckingham Avenue during the construction of their home on that site, which was commissioned by Katherine's father, Francis Joseph Dormer. The image was taken s…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911
- Collection/Fonds
- Shearer Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 530-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2012-05
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jim Shearer, his wife Katherine (Dormer), and their daughter, Katie, posed in front of the temporary shelter erected at 5573 Buckingham Avenue during the construction of their home on that site, which was commissioned by Katherine's father, Francis Joseph Dormer. The image was taken shortly before their son James Francis was born.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Heritage
- Buildings - Residential - Cabins
- Buildings - Residential
- Names
- Shearer, James Dyke
- Shearer, Katherine Dormer
- Shearer, Katie
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Shearer, Tony
- Geographic Access
- Buckingham Avenue
- Street Address
- 5573 Buckingham Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Less detail
Winch Street program
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- Jan. 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a row of houses on Winch Street in Burnaby. The ground is covered with snow.
202 Delta Avenue under construction
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1948] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.2 x 5.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the house at 202 Delta Avenue under construction.
202 Delta Avenue under construction
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.2 x 5.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the house at 202 Delta Avenue under construction.
311 Madison Avenue
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1949 or 1950] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.0 x 4.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a side view of 311 Madison Avenue, in the snow. The photograph was taken from Madison Avenue.
311 Madison Avenue
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1941] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 3.1 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the front of 311 Madison Avenue, taken from across the street.
1007 Gilley Avenue
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1949 or 1950] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.0 x 3.0 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 26.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the back of 1007 Gilley Avenue (later renumbered 8416 Gilley Avenue).
1796 1st Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.9 x 2.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the back view of 1796 1st Street taken from a distance (later renumbered 7419 1st Street). The house was built before 1918.
1796 1st Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 3.0 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the front view of 1796 1st Street (later renumbered 7149 1st Street). The house was built before 1918.
2224 Antrim Avenue
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.7 x 4.6 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the backyard of 2224 Antrim Avenue (later renumbered 6957 Antrim Avenue). A woman is standing in the yard.
2924 Silver Avenue
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1941] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.6 x 4.6 cm print on contact sheet 20.3 x 26.6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of 2924 Silver Ave (later renumbered 6113 Silver Avenue), taken form across the street.
3830 Hazel Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1945 (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.0 x 5.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.1 x 26.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of 3830 Hazel Street (later renumbered 4662 Hazel Street) during the summer. A woman, probably Mrs. R.W. MacPhaden, is seated on the front steps.
3830 Hazel Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [ca. 1945] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.0 x 5.4 cm print on contact sheet 20.1 x 26.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the view from 3830 Hazel Street (later renumbered 4662 Hazel Street) in the snow. Spud Murphy's car, a Desoto, can be seen in the street and the George family's house is in the background.
3900 Block Union Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1912 and 1915] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.4 x 3.4 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Spraggon family home and another house on the 3900 block of Union Street (formerly named Barnard Street). There is a child at play in the snow in the foreground.
5165 Sperling Avenue construction
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1941 or 1942] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.6 x 3.7 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the house of the Montague Moore family under construction at 5165 Sperling Avenue.
5165 Sperling Avenue construction
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1941 or 1942] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.6 x 3.7 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the house of the Montague Moore family under construction at 5165 Sperling Avenue. Other houses on the street can be seen to the right, and the road can be seen in the foreground.