Description of Historic Place

The Byrnes Properties are part of the historic core of Whonnock, located in what was known locally as "The Front." The properties consist of two rustic one-and-one-half-storey plus basement wood frame residences and a mature landscape environment with other associated structures.

Heritage Value

An integral part of the historic core of Whonnock, the value of the Byrnes Properties is found in their association with the community of Whonnock and their relation to 1930s Depression era housing.

The historic community of Whonnock is characterized both by its rural and treed nature, and its well-defined centre known as "The Front." Containing the Whonnock Post Office and the last remaining commercial store, "The Front" is the core of Whonnock's sense of place and community. Built in the centre of Whonnock, these two houses on the Byrnes Properties reinforce the concept of a centralized service area in the heart of a small rural community, containing not only businesses, but also homes for those not directly engaged in the farming industry.

Originally built as housing for railway labourers during the Depression Era, the nearly identical houses are built of conventional materials on a simple rectangular plan with steeply pitched roofs. Contractors Ralph Daniels, Ray Steves and Richard Whiting built the two houses for Mrs. Winifred Gordon in 1931-32. Their intact siting, exteriors, interiors and significant mature landscape elements, including the forested area to the north of the properties, contribute to the historic rural character of the community of Whonnock.

A further value associated with the buildings for the District, and in particular Whonnock, is the significance of long-term residents Brian and Isabel Byrnes, for whom the properties have now been named. Amateur archaeologists, the couple made a careful and considered effort of cataloging their collected artifacts of the area. They also landscaped the property, including the introduction of plantings and a creek, which was diverted to accommodate a koi pond and turtle habitat enclosed by greenhouses to protect them from roaming wildlife. Much is owed to the Byrnes for the preservation of the character and artifacts of Whonnock.

Source: Planning Department, City of Maple Ridge

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Byrnes Properties include their:
LANDSCAPE
- setback from River Road amid a wooded and landscaped property
- siting on four legal lots although appearing to share a common site
- integration of the dwellings with their environment, and the continued use of the same plant materials and treatment on both properties
- wooded and landscaped areas around property
- significant landscape features with mature rhododendrons, mixed shrubs and trees and a grassed yard
- the koi pond and turtle habitat
HOUSES
- form, scale and massing
- use of simple materials displaying a rustic vernacular appearance
- notable roof massing with front and side gables
- large split barn shakes as roof covering
- vertical board-and-batten cladding
- double hung 1-over-1 wooden sash windows
- surviving interior trim and features