Description of Historic Place

The Beckett House is a one-and-one-half-storey wood-frame building with a distinctive curved front porch roof. It is located on a large corner lot at the intersection of Boundary Road and Triumph Street in a predominantly residential neighbourhood, with views of the North Shore, Burrard Inlet, and downtown.

Heritage Value

Built in 1928, the Beckett House is important for its historic, aesthetic and contextual significance. It is particularly important for its association with long-time residents (the Beckett family) and for its representation of a working-class family home on the east side of Vancouver.

The Becketts (James Henry and his wife Appie) lived in the house from its construction in 1928 until their deaths, hers in 1968 and his in 1981. The house remained in the family until 1993, which is an unusual length of time for one family to own a house. The Becketts were a typical working-class family (James was a clerk in the Post Office) that lived in the northeast area of Vancouver (formerly Hastings Townsite). They and their house represent the definite east/west, working class/middle class divide that existed in the city and which played a significant role in where one lived at the time.

While the house design is a good vernacular example for its time and place (a free-standing house set back from the property line and surrounded by a garden), it has aesthetic interest due to its simplified blend of Craftsman design features.

The Beckett House is of contextual value to the neighbourhood as one of a few buildings from the area formally recognized as historically important, and for its representation of the time in Vancouver between the World Wars, when there was renewed confidence in the economy and a great deal of residential development.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Beckett House's Craftsman-style architectural design include:

- its siting and context, particularly the orientation of the house towards Boundary Road
- the setback from Boundary Road with a garden and yard surrounding the house
- its residential form and one-and-one-half-storey scale, as expressed by its asymmetrical plan and front elevation
- the medium-gable roof with two dormers and exposed rafter ends
- the off-centred front door with an enclosed porch with curved roof
- its simple detailing reminiscent of the Craftsman style
- the two circular bay windows on the north side of the house, one of which is located right on the corner