Photograph of students of Harriet Woodward's private school, at Deer Lake. Front row, left to right: Bob Peers, Arthur Peers, Kitty Hill, Florence Hart, Geoff Peers, and Walter Gordon. Back row, left to right: Melvin Mawhinney, Beatrice Clayton, and Muriel Sprott.
Photograph of students of Harriet Woodward's private school, at Deer Lake. Front row, left to right: Bob Peers, Arthur Peers, Kitty Hill, Florence Hart, Geoff Peers, and Walter Gordon. Back row, left to right: Melvin Mawhinney, Beatrice Clayton, and Muriel Sprott.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 7.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified person sitting on the porch of the Maude and Harriet Woodward cottage. This house was a prefabricated cottage erected in 1904. The cottages were designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and were manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Tradi…
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 7.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-890
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified person sitting on the porch of the Maude and Harriet Woodward cottage. This house was a prefabricated cottage erected in 1904. The cottages were designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and were manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company. Maude Woodward established a post-office here which was operated by her sister, Harriet. Harriet also began a small private school here, the first in Burnaby Lake. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house.
Set far back from Sperling Avenue, Woodward Cottage is a one-storey, wood-frame house with a raised foundation and gabled roofline. It is located within a picturesque lakefront neighbourhood and is part of the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct.
Set far back from Sperling Avenue, Woodward Cottage is a one-storey, wood-frame house with a raised foundation and gabled roofline. It is located within a picturesque lakefront neighbourhood and is part of the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct.
Heritage Value
Woodward Cottage, built in 1904, is valued as the oldest house within the Deer Lake neighbourhood, whose construction marked the beginning of Deer Lake's transition from a rural farming community to a residential suburb. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Deer Lake was recognized for its tranquility and beautiful scenery, which, in turn, attracted New Westminster and Vancouver residents to relocate to the area and build family homes. The first owner, Maud Sarah Woodward (1865-1958), originally from England, was a pioneer nurse of Vancouver. In 1903, she purchased this property from her two close friends, Louis and Annie Hill, who were among Deer Lake's first residents. Maud and her sister, Harriet Julia Woodward (1879-1969), were prominent figures in the Deer Lake community and together they established the first post office in Burnaby, which operated out of this house. Due to the lack of any local facilities, in September 1904 Harriet Woodward established a private primary school here for the local children, which continued after 1908 as a kindergarten. The cottage was enlarged several times to accommodate the expanding post office until 1912, when the Woodwards began construction of a new, larger house.
Woodward Cottage is also valued for its origins as an innovative prefabricated structure. In 1904, the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company patented a modular system in response to unprecedented population growth in the western provinces. This system could be adapted to provide everything from modest one-room cottages to schools, churches and banks. Short mill ends of lumber and siding, which had previously been discarded, were assembled into three or four-foot wide wall panels that could be bolted together. The vertical joints between the panels were covered by narrow battens, which gave these buildings their distinct appearance. The wall panels for the house were assembled at the mill, prepainted and packaged with various other components and the necessary instructions to assemble the building, and shipped via railway to its waiting customer. Woodward Cottage is one of the earliest surviving examples of this ingenious prefabricated system. In the 1930s, the cottage was raised and turned to allow for a new foundation to be built. Despite later additions and alterations, the original cottage form is still recognizable. Woodward Cottage is currently owned by the City of Burnaby and is part of the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct, Burnaby's most significant collection of historic sites.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of Woodward Cottage include its:
- secluded lakefront site, set far back from Sperling Avenue, within the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct
- residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its one-storey height and gabled roofline
- original wood-frame construction and modular wall panels, extant under later stucco cladding
- internal red-brick chimney
- associated landscape features, including mature deciduous trees
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph looking towards the Pole Line Road (later Sperling Avenue) from the farm belonging to Claude Hill and known as Broadview on Buckingham Avenue. This property formerly belonged to Malcolm Nicholson. A fence can be seen dividing the garden from the field and two men are standing alongside…
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-869
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph looking towards the Pole Line Road (later Sperling Avenue) from the farm belonging to Claude Hill and known as Broadview on Buckingham Avenue. This property formerly belonged to Malcolm Nicholson. A fence can be seen dividing the garden from the field and two men are standing alongside with a horse and carriage nearby. Four children are walking in the field - from left to right, Kitty Hill, Ed Clayton, Gerry Hill and Florence Hart . A house can be seen in the background, this is most likely the cottage belonging to Harriet Woodward which served as the first school and post office at Burnaby Lake. To the right of the Woodward house can be seen the roof of the Claude Hill house known as Brookfield which was at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue and above that is a house on a hill which was the George Clayton home (on what later became the Henry and Grace Ceperley Fairacres estate at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue).
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.2 x 8.2 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of people in front of Maude and Harriet Woodward's cottage. This house was a prefabricated cottage erected in 1904. The cottages were designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and were manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company. Maude Wo…
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.2 x 8.2 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-889
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of people in front of Maude and Harriet Woodward's cottage. This house was a prefabricated cottage erected in 1904. The cottages were designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and were manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company. Maude Woodward established a post-office here which was operated by her sister, Harriet. Harriet also began a small private school here, the first in Burnaby Lake. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house. Shown here are (l t r): Charles Frederick Sprott, Frances Schou, Lucy Christine Sprott (nee Schou), Harriet Woodward, Kitty Hill, Maude Woodward and Annie Hill.
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harriet Woodward and her class of students outside the Woodward home near Deer Lake which served as the first school and post office in the Burnaby Lake area; (l to r): Harriet Woodward (Miss Harry), Bob Peers, Melvin Mawhinney, Muriel Sprott, Kitty Hill, Beatrice Clayton and Arthur P…
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-868
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harriet Woodward and her class of students outside the Woodward home near Deer Lake which served as the first school and post office in the Burnaby Lake area; (l to r): Harriet Woodward (Miss Harry), Bob Peers, Melvin Mawhinney, Muriel Sprott, Kitty Hill, Beatrice Clayton and Arthur Peers. The cottage was a prefabricated building designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and was manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company and erected here is 1904. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house.
1 photograph : sepia ; 6 x 10.5 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of the home belonging to Maude and Harriet Woodward, early residents of the Burnaby Lake area. The cottage was a prefabricated building designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and was manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company and erected here in …
1 photograph : sepia ; 6 x 10.5 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-190
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of the home belonging to Maude and Harriet Woodward, early residents of the Burnaby Lake area. The cottage was a prefabricated building designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and was manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company and erected here in 1904. Maude Woodward established a post-office here which was operated by her sister, Harriet. Harriet also began a small private school here, the first in Burnaby Lake. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house.
1 photograph : sepia ; 10.3 x 6 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Maude Woodward digging in the garden (most likely at the Burnaby Lake home of her and her sister Harriet Woodward). A bucket and shovel are on the ground next to her.
1 photograph : sepia ; 10.3 x 6 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-192
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Maude Woodward digging in the garden (most likely at the Burnaby Lake home of her and her sister Harriet Woodward). A bucket and shovel are on the ground next to her.
The Woodward House is a two-storey plus basement, wood-framed house with British Arts and Crafts influences. It is set in a wooded landscape on a lakefront property, on Sperling Avenue within the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct of Burnaby, with expansive views of the lake.
The Woodward House is a two-storey plus basement, wood-framed house with British Arts and Crafts influences. It is set in a wooded landscape on a lakefront property, on Sperling Avenue within the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct of Burnaby, with expansive views of the lake.
Heritage Value
Maud Sarah Woodward (1865-1958), a pioneer nurse originally from England, and her sister Harriet Julia Woodward (1879-1969), one of Burnaby’s first teachers, had this large house built in 1912 to replace the smaller cottage they owned nearby at 5141 Sperling Avenue. Farmer, builder and longtime Deer Lake resident, Bernard R. Hill (1858-1939), was hired as the contractor.
The Woodward House played an important role in the Deer Lake community. The Woodward sisters were tireless community organizers and volunteers. This house served a number of functions, and in addition to being the sisters’ home was the local post office until 1949 and also a private kindergarten/school until 1935. Originally designed in the British Arts and Crafts style with a simple rustic exterior of cedar shingles, it is an excellent example of the type of residence constructed by middle-class citizens in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. The B.C. Electric Railway's Burnaby Lake Interurban line, which opened June 12, 1911, fostered the development of Deer Lake as well as other Edwardian era neighbourhoods in Burnaby.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Woodward House include its:
- lakefront location, within the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct
- residential form, scale and massing as exhibited by its two-storey height, full basement, square floor plan and side-gabled roof
- internal red-brick chimneys
- British Arts and Crafts features such as cedar shingle siding, extant under later plywood
- associated landscape features such as mature coniferous trees
1 photograph : sepia ; 8 x 13.2 cm on page 17.5 x 24.8 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph looking over Deer Lake and snow-covered ground towards the Frederick and Alice Hart mansion known as the Avalon Estate. In the foreground the Hart's cottage is visible; it was built near Deer Lake in 1904 as a summer retreat for the Hart family. Eventually, the family decided to reside a…
1 photograph : sepia ; 8 x 13.2 cm on page 17.5 x 24.8 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
020-003
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2007-04
Scope and Content
Photograph looking over Deer Lake and snow-covered ground towards the Frederick and Alice Hart mansion known as the Avalon Estate. In the foreground the Hart's cottage is visible; it was built near Deer Lake in 1904 as a summer retreat for the Hart family. Eventually, the family decided to reside at Deer Lake year-round and began building the large estate which is visible in the centre of the photograph. In 1917, Mr. and Mrs. Hart were devastated when their son, Kingsley was killed in World War I and so they sold Avalon to Montague and Ethel Moore. The Moore's continued with improvements to the estate and renamed it Rosedale Gardens. Just to the right of the estate can be seen a home at 5140 Sperling Avenue which later became the Gayton house. To the right of that, what was originally the cottage belonging to Harriet and Maude Woodward is visible. At the time of this photograph, the cottage was being used as the Burnaby Lake United Church.
Postal scale used by Harriet Woodward at the Burnaby Lake Post Office. The Burnaby Lake Post Office was run out of the Woodward cottage, owned by Harriet and Maude Woodward. The cottage was a prefabricated cottage erected in 1904. Harriet also began a small private school in the cottage, the first in Burnaby Lake. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house.
Photograph of Woodward cottage as seen from Deer Lake. The cottage was a prefabricted building designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and was manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company and erected here in 1904. Maude Woodward established a post-office here…
Photograph of Woodward cottage as seen from Deer Lake. The cottage was a prefabricted building designed by J.J. Mahoney and architect Joseph Bowman and was manufactured in Vancouver by the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company and erected here in 1904. Maude Woodward established a post-office here which was operated by her sister, Harriet. Harriet also began a small private school here, the first in Burnaby Lake. The cottage was enlarged with several additions until 1912 when the Woodwards built a new house. This photograph shows the cottage as it appeared in 1990.
Photograph of the home that belonged to early Burnaby lake residents, Maude and Harriet Woodward. This home replaced their earlier cottage at 5141 Sperling Avenue and served as a residence, post office and private school. This photograph shows the home as it appeared in 1990.
Photograph of the home that belonged to early Burnaby lake residents, Maude and Harriet Woodward. This home replaced their earlier cottage at 5141 Sperling Avenue and served as a residence, post office and private school. This photograph shows the home as it appeared in 1990.
A history of the Burnaby school district and individual school buildings in Burnaby, BC, between 1893 and 2013.
The “First Nations cemetery” described on page 109 in Mary Johnson’s recollections was originally written as “Indian” and may refer to the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh cremations at the Vancouver Cemetery.