Description of Historic Place

The Clement Elsdon Residence is a one and one-half storey, wood-frame bungalow with a side-gabled roof and an open front verandah. It is situated on a sloping lot on St. George Street within the low-density residential neighbourhood of Moody Centre. The house has extensive views of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore Mountains.

Heritage Value

Built circa 1912, the Clement Elsdon Residence is valued as a well-maintained example of a vernacular Arts and Crafts bungalow, with characteristic full open front verandah. The house dates from the Edwardian era, when the prosperous local economy was driven by industrial activity. The local growth of the lumber industry had increased job opportunities in the city, leading to a steady influx of residents during the boom years that followed the turn of the twentieth century. The Clement Elsdon Residence is located within the residential neighbourhood of Moody Centre, which is associated with the continuing early twentieth-century economic and population growth of Port Moody. As Port Moody grew, the residential area, adjacent to the downtown area, expanded up the hills as far up as houses could easily be constructed.

The Clement Elsdon Residence is additionally significant for its association with early Port Moody settlers. Clement William Elsdon (1883-1957) acquired the land from Eleanor Campbell (1856-1942), a widowed housewife who owned the entire block and gradually sold it off for development. Elsdon was originally from Croydon, England and was employed until his retirement by the Imperial Oil Company, reflecting the importance of the Ioco Refinery as a local employer and economic driving force. Established in 1914, it was one of the first refineries on the West Coast, provided jobs for many Port Moody residents, and helped stabilize the local economy.

Source: City of Port Moody Heritage Planning Files

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Clement Elsdon Residence include its:
- location on a sloping site that drops to the north and east, with views of Port Moody and Burrard Inlet
- residential form, scale and massing as exemplified by its one and one-half storey height, symmetrical rectangular plan, full open front verandah, central entry, and side-gabled roof with central front-gabled dormer
- wood-frame construction including lapped wooden siding with cornerboards and vertical foundation skirting
- Arts and Crafts influence features, such as the tapered verandah columns, glazed wooden front door, exposed rafter tails and open soffits
- variety of windows including paired double-hung windows with upper-sash horns
- mature landscape setting