Beautifully designed in an Arts and Crafts idiom, this church features a textural mix of finishes including lapped siding and stucco and half timbering in the gables. The British Columbian reported in July 1912 that: "The Baptists of Edmonds will possess a fine and well planned church when the building now commenced is ready for occupation. The architects are J.P. Matheson and Son, of Vancouver, and the contractors, Muttitt and Bell, of New Westminster. The entrance porch fronts Edmonds Road and the west side faces Vancouver Road. It will have a capacity for 272 sittings, spacious aisles and choir platform besides various rooms for Baptistery, vestry and robing apartments."
'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.
'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'
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
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.
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
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
Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the ‘Fairacres’ Garage and Stables is a two-storey wood frame building located on the 'Fairacres' estate, situated to the north of the Chauffeur's Cottage; at the south end of the structure is a single vehicle garage and to the north are several stable…
Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the ‘Fairacres’ Garage and Stables is a two-storey wood frame building located on the 'Fairacres' estate, situated to the north of the Chauffeur's Cottage; at the south end of the structure is a single vehicle garage and to the north are several stables for carriage, riding, and draught horses, a coach house, and tack room; the upper floor was originally a hay loft.
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 Garage and Stables building is important as a record of its era when transportation modes were in transition and the horse-drawn carriage, while still in use, was giving way to the automobile. The relative spatial arrangements within the building are a valuable indication of the economy of space associated with the automobile, as compared to the horse. The extent of the stabling arrangements signifies not only the use of carriage horses but also the continued reliance on draught horses in farming activities in this era. As well, it is an indication of the fashionable nature of equestrianism for wealthy families during this time.
The building is important as a demonstration of the aesthetics of the Ceperley family in having an architect-designed outbuilding and obtaining craftsmanship and materials of the highest quality for each structure on their estate.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the 'Fairacres' Garage and Stables include its:
- location within easy reach of the main house and in close proximity to the Chauffeur's Cottage
- floor plan with the garage at one end, close to the Chauffeur's Cottage, and stables and equine facilities at the other
- variety and complexity of the roofline, including gable wall dormers, gable-on-hip roof ends, and half-hip extensions
- Arts and Crafts architectural features of the exterior such as the shingle wall cladding articulated with a chevron-patterned course of shingles at the first floor level; casement windows; and deep eaves with additional purlins to support the overhang
- original stable doors with hand-made forged-iron door hardware
- multi-paned wooden-sash windows, some retaining original wire glass
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.9 x 5.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of grading being done during construction at Oakalla Prison Farm. A team of Clydesdale horses is pulling a plough in front of a building with barred windows.
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.9 x 5.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.7 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-686
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of grading being done during construction at Oakalla Prison Farm. A team of Clydesdale horses is pulling a plough in front of a building with barred windows.
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.9 x 5.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of grading being done during construction at Oakalla Prison Farm. A team of Clydesdale horses is pulling a plough in front of a building with barred windows.
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.9 x 5.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.7 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-687
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of grading being done during construction at Oakalla Prison Farm. A team of Clydesdale horses is pulling a plough in front of a building with barred windows.
File contains photographs of an evacuation drill of an unidentified children's health centre. Photographs depict the nursing staff evacuating children from rooms on blankets and out of the building.
File contains photographs of an evacuation drill of an unidentified children's health centre. Photographs depict the nursing staff evacuating children from rooms on blankets and out of the building.
Photograph of Thomas Farrington (at back, third from left) at the Shaughnessy Military Hospital, Vancouver. He was a shoemaker and taught shoemaking to First World War veterans. He also made shoes and braces for wounded returnees.
Photograph of Thomas Farrington (at back, third from left) at the Shaughnessy Military Hospital, Vancouver. He was a shoemaker and taught shoemaking to First World War veterans. He also made shoes and braces for wounded returnees.
Photographic postcard of the Burnaby Mounted Police in dress uniform, complete with gauntlets and English riding boots. The officers are seated and standing in two rows in front of the Burnaby Municipal Hall at Kingsway and Edmonds. Standing in the back row are; E.N. Senior, A.W. James, Peter Kelsb…
Photographic postcard of the Burnaby Mounted Police in dress uniform, complete with gauntlets and English riding boots. The officers are seated and standing in two rows in front of the Burnaby Municipal Hall at Kingsway and Edmonds. Standing in the back row are; E.N. Senior, A.W. James, Peter Kelsberg, George Jeffery, W.F. Nicholson. Seated in the front row are; R.L. Doidge, Sergeant J.H. Lynne, Chief William Parkinson, R. Kenderson, R.J. Woolens, and D.S. Wright.
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon describing the location of the North Burnaby Fire Department fire hall and the location of the six fire halls subsequently built for the combined north and south department. He also talks about Fred Blake, Lewis Auvache and Henry Chapman, early member…
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon describing the location of the North Burnaby Fire Department fire hall and the location of the six fire halls subsequently built for the combined north and south department. He also talks about Fred Blake, Lewis Auvache and Henry Chapman, early members of the department who were also interested in the department's history.
Recording is of an interview with Al Nixon, conducted by Rod Fowler. Al Nixon was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is mainly about the history and operations of the Burnaby Fire Department from its beginning in 1911 to 1990, and Al Nixon’s stories about the various ways photographs, records and artifacts about the department were collected and saved. The interview takes place while looking at photographs, but the information is clear nonetheless (His photographs have been deposited in the Burnaby Archives). Al Nixon also talks about his father's career as a firefighter, and about his Douglas grandparents and their home “The Gables” [Seven Gables] and neighbourhood in Burquitlam. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Al Nixon was born in New Westminster Feb. 8, 1936, the son of Provincial Fire Marshal Basil Nixon (1904-1975) and Agnes Douglas (1909-?). His mother’s family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1922 and lived in a large ca. 1900 home in Burquitlam at 9957 Sullivan Road called “Seven Gables” (recently demolished). His grandfather Thomas Douglas, a Coquitlam Councillor and Socialist, was murdered in 1934 in his North Road service station. Al Nixon began his career as a firefighter with the Burnaby Fire Department in 1957, eventually becoming Deputy Fire Chief Operations in 1987 and Fire Chief in 1991, before retiring in 1993. In the mid 1980's Al Nixon became interested in the department’s history after finding a photograph scrapbook at one of the firehalls. It was in very bad condition but he recognized its value and began a project to collect and save photographs, artifacts and stories about the Burnaby Fire Department, a 6 month project that turned into years. The photographs and information gathered by Al Nixon became part of Douglas Penn’s book “Follow that Fire: the history of the Burnaby Fire Department”.
Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.