Description of Historic Place

The Wynyard and Charlotte Gladwin Residence is a two and one-half storey wood-frame house located on Keith Road East, adjacent to a similar house and set amidst single-family and multi-unit residences of mixed age. This Edwardian-era Foursquare house is distinctive for its projecting, second-storey windows and diamond-paned window sashes.

Heritage Value

Constructed in 1908, the Wynyard and Charlotte Gladwin Residence is of heritage value as part of North Vancouver's early twentieth century residential development boom. After regular ferry service was established in 1903 and the city was incorporated in 1907, North Vancouver experienced a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity. This construction boom accelerated until a general financial depression in 1913 halted this ambitious suburban development.

This house is typical of much of the housing that was built at the time for the burgeoning middle class of the area. It was designed in the Foursquare style, suitable for standard suburban lots. The house is distinguished by its unusual projecting second storey windows, a feature displayed on other houses in North Vancouver built by contractor Benson E. Gladwin. Comfortable suburban housing such as this appealed to a broad spectrum of the middle class, such as Wynyard Charles Gladwin (1869-1915) and his wife, Charlotte Rose Gladwin (1875-1937). Wynyard Gladwin was the Chief Fire Warden for the Province of British Columbia and active in local politics. He later became the President of the North Vancouver Conservative Association. Typical of investors who saw opportunities in the booming real estate market, in 1909 the Gladwins built a similar house next door, at 254 East Keith Road.

Source: City of North Vancouver Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Wynyard and Charlotte Gladwin Residence include its:
- residential setting; elevated situation with views south to Burrard Inlet
- setback from street in line with neighbouring residences
- residential form, scale and massing, as expressed by its two and one-half storey plus raised basement height, and rectangular plan with one-storey rear addition
- cedar shingled, hipped roof; hipped roof dormer; closed eaves with wooden tongue-and-groove soffits
- wood-frame construction with lapped wooden siding, cornerboards and frieze
- additional exterior features such as a full-width open verandah with closed balustrade (clad in lapped siding), square columns, and straight flight stairs; panelled front entrance assembly with sidelights and glazed door; and internal red-brick chimney
- variety of wooden sash windows including double-hung windows with diamond-paned upper sash, set in projecting frames on the front elevation; casement windows in the attic; and side elevation, square sided bay window
- low rubble-stone retaining wall at the front of the property