Description of Historic Place

The Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute Hall is a utilitarian, front-gabled rectangular building located on a prominent site at the corner of 75A Avenue and 122 Street in the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood of Surrey. The building is situated in a primarily residential area, and is set very close to the intersection.

Heritage Value

The Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute Hall reflects the presence and organization of early farmers who settled in the rich agricultural uplands of the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood, and serves as a testament to the success and persistence of the agricultural community in Surrey. By the early twentieth century, farming in Surrey (particularly berry farming) had developed into an important industry that supplied produce to Vancouver. Strawberry Hill derived its name from the strawberries harvested by the area's Japanese settlers from between the stumps of old growth trees, prior to the land being fully cleared. The Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute was founded on September 3, 1909, and the Hall was constructed with the help of donations, grants and volunteer labour on land donated by the first president of the Institute, George Henry Flux. An essential part of community life, the Institute held lectures on farming practices, hosted social activities and provided assistance to new settlers.

The Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute Hall is also significant as an excellent example of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century vernacular agricultural hall architecture. Despite later alterations and additions, the simple gable-roofed structure and rectangular plan are still evident, and the all-wood interior remains substantially intact.

The Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute Hall is also valued as a significant link to the early Japanese families who settled on logged lots near Scott and Newton Roads in the early twentieth century.

Source: City of Surrey Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Strawberry Hill Farmers Institute Hall include its:
- setting within a residential area of the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood
- minimal setback from the road and prominent corner location
- vernacular form, scale and massing, as expressed in its one-storey rectangular plan, gabled roof with exposed rafters and original window openings visible on the interior
- wooden construction with wooden siding under later vinyl siding
- original all-wooden interior features, such as a chamfered ceiling, wainscoting and panelling