McLeod Block
50 Sixth Street, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Formally Recognized:
2004/04/05
Other Name(s)
n/a
Links and documents
n/a
Construction Date(s)
1913/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2010/04/30
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The McLeod Block is a two-storey Edwardian Classical Revival building, covering the entire lot, with frontages on Sixth and Carnarvon Streets in the downtown core of New Westminster.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of the McLeod Block is associated with the development of downtown New Westminster, which represents a formative period in BC's resource-based economy. The city grew through successive economic waves that followed the founding of the city as the colonial capital of the Mainland colony of B.C. in 1859, which earned the new settlement the name 'The Royal City'.
After the devastation of the Great Fire of 1898, the downtown was rebuilt immediately and continued to develop during the great western Canadian economic boom that preceded the First World War. The McLeod Block is also significant within the context of Columbia Street, the city's earliest, most historic area of commercial and institutional buildings. The consistent and distinctive built form of Columbia Street dates from between 1898, when New Westminster was the major centre of commerce and industrial output for the booming Fraser Valley area, serving the agricultural, fishing and lumbering sectors of the economy.
The McLeod Block is valued for its association with its architects Gardiner and Mercer, whose partnership was one of the most enduring and prolific in the province (1911- 1940). A high-profile commission by one of the wealthiest people in New Westminster, it was an important project for the partners. This handsome two-storey Edwardian Classical Revival building clad in pressed Clayburn brick, with contrasting tones of red and yellow, was striking and had rooms with plumbing and gas connections in the event that they were used for residential purposes.
Built in 1913, the McLeod Block is valued for its association with Alfred W. McLeod, known as 'the insurance man' in New Westminster. McLeod acquired the landmark stone residence and offices at the corner of Sixth and Carnarvon Streets in 1900, razed it, and commissioned the construction of a new landmark building. It was home to McLeod's head office for many years.
Source: City of New Westminster Planning Department
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the McLeod Block include its:
- form, scale and massing
- siting, consistent with other building on Columbia Street
- prominent corner location
- pressed-brick window details and south wall detail
- large storefront windows
- single-hung wooden-sash windows on second floor
- simple ornamentation
- stepped retail frontages and change in a number of floors due to slope of Sixth Street
Recognition
Jurisdiction
British Columbia
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (BC)
Recognition Statute
Local Government Act, s.954
Recognition Type
Community Heritage Register
Recognition Date
2004/04/05
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Developing Economies
- Trade and Commerce
Function - Category and Type
Current
- Residence
- Multiple Dwelling
Historic
- Commerce / Commercial Services
- Office or Office Building
Architect / Designer
Gardiner and Mercer
Builder
Miller and Jewhurst
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
City of New Westminster Planning Department
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
DhRr-179
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a