Description of Historic Place

The McMyn/Masson Residence is a one and one-half storey prefabricated farmhouse, with modular panels of lapped wooden siding, a full-width verandah and front gabled, bellcast roof. It has been relocated from its original location and is now located in Hoffmann Park, adjacent to a grouping of the District of Pitt Meadows' most significant heritage sites.

Heritage Value

The McMyn/Masson Residence is significant as an example of a BC Mills Timber and Trading Company prefabricated structure. Patented in 1904, this early successful modular system could be purchased through a catalogue, shipped in pieces, and assembled on-site to provide a variety of houses, churches, schools and banks. The component panels were assembled from short mill ends of lumber that could be bolted together. Vertical joints between the panels were covered by narrow battens, which gave these buildings their characteristic appearance. The system proved ideal for smaller, developing communities as skilled labourers were not required for their construction and was widely used throughout western Canada until 1910. The McMyn/Masson Residence is one of two surviving BC Mills prefabricated buildings in Pitt Meadows, the other being the Pitt Meadows Community Church.

This small farmhouse is a valuable representation of the early farming families and life of Pitt Meadows. It was originally located at the southwest corner of Park and Bonson Roads, in what is now the Sommerset area. John (1860-1932) McMyn and his wife, Margaret (1867-1960), built the house in 1909 on property they had purchased from Yorkshire Guarantee and Securities Corp. The McMyns left Pitt Meadows in 1919, and in 1931 the Masson family purchased the property and resided in the house for over sixty years.

The building is additionally significant for its continuing role as an integral part of the community and demonstrates the value that Pitt Meadows places on its heritage. In 1995, in order to prevent its demolition, the District of Pitt Meadows funded the move of the house to its present site on municipal land in Hoffmann Park. The McMyn/Masson Residence operates today as a restaurant and remains a community landmark.

Source: Department of Development Services, District of Pitt Meadows

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the McMyn/Masson Residence include its:
- residential form, scale and massing as exhibited by its one and one-half storey height, rectangular plan and projecting bays at the front and side
- front gabled, bellcast roof; closed eaves with wooden tongue-and-groove soffits; and bellcast hipped roof dormers
- typical features of BC Mills prefabricated buildings such as: modular panels of lapped wooden siding; narrow vertical battens over the panel joints; cedar shingles in the gable ends; and full-width open front verandah
- symmetrical fenestration, including a feature window flashed with coloured glass, and the glazed, panelled wooden front door
- interior elements including wooden floors, central staircase, upper floor balustrade, and original door and window trim.