Description of Historic Place

The Ida Steves house is a two storey home constructed in the Craftsman style and located in the Steveston area of Richmond. The historic place consists of the building footprint.

Heritage Value

Likely constructed in 1915, the Ida Steves House is important for its historical connection to the Steves family, pioneer farmers and founders of the community of Steveston. The daughter of Manoah Steves, who with his wife Martha and six children started farming in this part of Richmond in 1878, Ida occupied the house until 1947. Ida Steves was a founding member of the Women's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, and she documented in her memoirs the pioneer lifestyle in early Richmond with her descriptions of everyday life; her topics included the building of dykes and ditches, travel, family history, and even fashion. This finely crafted house, influenced by Ida Steves' taste in design, was both a comfortable family home and a gathering place and landmark in the community.

Originally located on a 10 acre lot, the house is associated with the pattern of early large lot subdivision for agriculture which occurred in Richmond at the beginning of the twentieth century. During this period, Richmond was undergoing an economic upswing which was fuelled by the fishing, lumber and agriculture industries. The Craftsman style house was popular in Richmond during this time, when the Arts and Crafts movement was making good design available to the middle class. A fine example of the Craftsman style, the house is notable for its detailing and superior construction. Now part of a residential neighbourhood, the mature landscape adds to its suburban character.

Source: City of Richmond Clerk's Department File #4200-02.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the Ida Steves House include:
- The relationship of the house to its site and its orientation to Steveston Highway
- The Craftsman style of the house illustrated by the front gable roof, side gable dormers, full front verandah with a shed roof and square columns and decorative triangular eave brackets
- The large multi-paned wooden sash casement windows, 5/2 on the lower floor and 3/2 on the upper floor
- The building cladding, which consists of lapped siding at the lower level and shingle above
- Mature landscape features, including holly, cedar and fir trees
- Its Steveston location and cultural association with the Steves family