Description of Historic Place

The Davidson Residence is a large two-storey, wood-frame Arts and Crafts residence with asymmetrical massing and a hipped roof with two front projecting gables. The house is situated on the south side of Queen’s Avenue, in the historic Queen’s Park neighbourhood in New Westminster. It features a textural contrast of exterior materials, half-timbering in the gable peaks, exposed rafters, a corner side entry, and leaded casement windows.

Heritage Value

Built in 1909-10, the Davidson Residence is significant for its connection with the Edwardian-era development of the historic Queen’s Park neighbourhood, the most affluent and desirable residential area of New Westminster. The historic character of Queen’s Park is based on its consistent streetscapes of fine restored homes, augmented by mature landscaping.

Additionally, the Davidson Residence is significant as an outstanding example of both American and British Arts and Crafts design by the prominent local architectural firm of Gardiner & Gardiner, the partnership of English-born brothers Francis George Gardiner (1878-1966) and William F. Gardiner (1884-1951). Gardiner & Gardiner designed many of the buildings along Columbia Street during the pre-First World War boom in New Westminster. They also had a thriving practice in residential buildings, of which this house is a prime example. It was designed for Herbert Robert Davidson, manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce in New Westminster. Befitting his status in the community, his house displayed features typical of the British Arts and Craft style, representing traditional associations with the Mother Country and the patriotic loyalty considered desirable at the time.

Source: City of New Westminster Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Davidson Residence include its:
- location on south side of Queen’s Avenue, among houses of similar age and style in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood
- residential form, scale and massing, as expressed by its two-storey plus full basement height, hipped roof with two low-pitched and flared front-projecting gables, and corner entry porch
- construction materials, as expressed by its patterned concrete-block foundation, three internal tan-brick chimneys, and wood-frame construction with cedar shingle siding and roof, wooden trim and heavy timber verandah columns
- British Arts and Crafts detailing, such as half-timbering in the jettied gable peaks, pointed bargeboards with flared eaves, scroll-cut brackets, and open soffits with exposed rafters
- windows, such as multiple-assembly wooden-sash casement windows, some with transoms, and many with geometric leaded and stained glass motifs, ribbon casement windows, multi-paned casement windows in a square bay, and a piano window with leaded glass