The E.W. Bateman House is a one-and-one-half storey wood-frame residence set within in a garden landscape. The house and its adjacent garage are the only historic buildings standing on their original site within the Burnaby Village Museum property.
The E.W. Bateman House is a one-and-one-half storey wood-frame residence set within in a garden landscape. The house and its adjacent garage are the only historic buildings standing on their original site within the Burnaby Village Museum property.
Heritage Value
The E.W. Bateman House was constructed in the Deer Lake Crescent subdivision, that was originally promoted in 1911 as an upper class suburban 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 reduced scale of upper-class residential construction at a time of modest returning prosperity that followed the end of the First World War, and 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, and importance of a landscaped garden.
The heritage value of the E.W. Bateman House is its comprehensive representation of an upper middle-class suburban residence of the early 1920s. It was built for retired CPR executive Edwin Wettenhall Bateman (1859-1957) and his wife, Mary (Dale) Bateman (1865-1935), by contractor William Dodson in 1922. The Bateman House was designed by English-born and trained architect Enoch Evans (1862-1939) of E. Evans and Son, and is an important surviving residential design by Evans, and a typical example of the eclectic Period Revival influences that were common to domestic architecture in the post-First World War era. The symmetry of the imposing front verandah, supported by exaggerated Ionic columns, gives the relatively-modest house an image of grandeur and formality. Named after Edwin Bateman’s birthplace in Cheshire, England, ‘Elworth’ also symbolizes allegiance to England and the patriotic tenor of the time.
The heritage value for this house also lies in its interpretive value within the Burnaby Village Museum. The site is an important cultural feature for the interpretation of Burnaby’s heritage to the public. The E.W. Bateman House was purchased by Burnaby in 1970 and became the focal point for the development of the Museum. Both the interior and exterior of the house have been restored and interpreted to the date of original construction, including recreated room interiors and period furnishings.
Defining Elements
The elements that define the heritage character of the E.W. Bateman House include its:
- rectangular form and massing with central entry on long side
- side gable roof with front shed dormer with cedar shingle cladding
- symmetry of front facade
- full open front verandah inset under the roofline, supported with Ionic columns
- cedar shingle siding
- multi-paned double-hung wooden-sash windows, mixture of 6-over-1 and 8-over-1
- symmetrical disposition of fenestration, with double-assembly units on the ground floor
- exterior shutters
- two flanking brick chimneys on the side elevations
- interior room layouts and original interior features such as quality millwork and original hardware
- original garage at the rear of the house
This portion of the interview is about the equipment used by the fire department over the years, in particular about the pump and ladder trucks, and about Chief Waddell's wise choice of locations for the fire halls.
This portion of the interview is about the equipment used by the fire department over the years, in particular about the pump and ladder trucks, and about Chief Waddell's wise choice of locations for the fire halls.
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.
Photograph of Lord Willingdon and Civic Officials standing on the steps of Burnaby Municipal Hall. A sign above the door reads, "Burnaby / Lord Willingdon."
Photograph of Lord Willingdon and Civic Officials standing on the steps of Burnaby Municipal Hall. A sign above the door reads, "Burnaby / Lord Willingdon."
Photograph of Lord Willingdon, the Governor General of Canada shaking hands with a soldier on the steps of the Burnaby Municipal Hall as many spectators look on. A large sign above the steps to the Hall reads: "WELCOME TO BURNABY LORD WILLINGDON".
Photograph of Lord Willingdon, the Governor General of Canada shaking hands with a soldier on the steps of the Burnaby Municipal Hall as many spectators look on. A large sign above the steps to the Hall reads: "WELCOME TO BURNABY LORD WILLINGDON".
Photograph of a crowd of people gathered on the steps of Burnaby Municipal Hall as part of the welcome reception for Lord and Lady Willingdon. They visited Burnaby in 1928 while Lord Willingdon was touring Canada in his role as Governor-General. A sing hanging over the door reads: Welcome to Bur…
Photograph of a crowd of people gathered on the steps of Burnaby Municipal Hall as part of the welcome reception for Lord and Lady Willingdon. They visited Burnaby in 1928 while Lord Willingdon was touring Canada in his role as Governor-General. A sing hanging over the door reads: Welcome to Burnaby Lord Willingdon.