Description of Historic Place

The historic place is the two-storey (with basement) single-family house at 1717 Sixth Avenue. It is located on a single residential lot in the West End neighbourhood. The lot slopes to the south and a river-rock retaining wall and staircase sits at the south east corner of the property. A cedar hedge runs across the front of the property along Sixth Avenue. The house is a vernacular ‘Foursquare’ design with a projecting addition on the second floor of the front elevation. The hip-roofed front porch is partially enclosed.

Heritage Value

Built in 1913, 1717 Sixth Avenue represents the second wave of development in the West End in the years immediately preceding World War I.

Although somewhat hidden by the alterations to the front elevation, the house has architectural value for being typical of the ‘Foursquare’ hipped-roof houses built at the time for the middle and working classes. It was constructed by Alex McConnell. He sold it to Donald M. Archibald, who served as the manager at Westminster Sheet Metal Works.

The house also represents how buildings were changed to meet the needs and tastes of their owners, particularly represented by the recent alterations to the principal elevation.

Source: City of New Westminster Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the residence at 1717 Sixth Avenue include its:

- location in the historic West End neighbourhood of New Westminster
- features of the ‘Foursquare’ house, including the hipped roof with overhanging eaves and exposed rafters, and the front porch
- small gabled dormer window on the east slope of the roof
- intact window sills and casings throughout the house
- off-centre wood front door with an oval window
- shingle siding covering second storey, and lap siding visible on the south elevation behind the porch
- bay window on south elevation with three sets of sash
- stone retaining wall