Description of Historic Place

The Manager's House is a one and one-half storey plus basement wood frame Edwardian residence, that was later clad with locally made brick. It is situated on the site of the former Port Haney Brick Co. Ltd., in Jim Hadgkiss Park in the community of Port Haney, on the north bank of the Fraser River.

Heritage Value

The Manager's House is valued for its association with the early industrialization of Port Haney and Maple Ridge and as a symbol of the success of the Port Haney Brick Co. Ltd.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many small brick making businesses were located throughout the Port Haney area, due to its rich clay deposits. During this period, there was an enormous demand for construction materials, due in part to Vancouver's rapid growth and development as the main commercial centre of the Province. Brick was favoured for many commercial applications as it satisfied the requirements of Vancouver's fire limits bylaw, which mandated fire-resistant construction in the downtown area. In the later part of the nineteenth century, the majority of local brick yards were located in the vicinity of Port Haney.

Port Haney Brick Company Ltd. was formed largely to supply the very successful contracting firm of Baynes and Horie, the partnership of pioneer settlers Edgar George Baynes (1870-1956) and William McLeod Horie (c.1858-1940). The firm prospered as the region developed in the boom years prior to the First World War. In order to supply bricks for their many projects, in 1907 Baynes, Horie, and Harold Burnet formed the Port Haney Brick Company, which operated continuously for the next seventy years, providing drain tile and clay partition blocks as well as their trademark bricks. The success of this brick yard and its close proximity to the core of Port Haney contributed greatly to the growth of the area.

The early settlement of Port Haney was centred on the Fraser River, which provided the earliest access before the development of roads through the area and continued to be an important factor in local industry, such as the brick plant. Over time, significant commercial and residential activity occurred and Port Haney became a major transportation hub in the region. Decline set in after the Great Depression and a devastating fire in 1932 that destroyed much of the business centre. The fire caused commercial activity to relocate to the north along the newly-opened Lougheed Highway, a make-work project that connected the Fraser Valley communities by road. The Port Haney Brick Company, however, remained in the area for many years afterwards, and was a prominent local industry and employer.

The brick company manager lived on site in the original 1907 wood-clad house, reclad c.1930 in brick from the plant as a demonstration of the quality and versatility of the brick being produced by the Haney Brick and Tile Company. The residence is important because it showcased the modern and fashionable ornamentation styles possible with brick construction, including the use of combed brick and courses of differently coloured brick.

Community value also lies in the site, which was named Jim Hadgkiss Park in honour of his work in the community through the Rotary Club and Freemasons, as well as the leadership he demonstrated as Manager of the Haney Brick and Tile Company Ltd.

This was also a significant example of a local heritage conservation initiative, as the Manager's House and Office were relocated to ensure their survival when the Haney By-pass was constructed in 1980, and restored and adapted for a new community use. In its current context, the Manager's House is valued as the home of the Maple Ridge Museum and Archives since 1984, where historic artifacts of the region are preserved and displayed, and of the Dewdney Alouette Railway Society, who jointly occupy the building to ensure its conservation.

Source: Planning Department, City of Maple Ridge

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Manager's House include its:
- location close to Port Haney and the waterfront
- orientation of the House to the Office and the surrounding yard
- form, scale and massing
- side dual pitch gable roof with front gable dormer
- c.1930 local brick cladding, including three types of combed brick, located on the front and both side facades
- original horizontal wood siding at rear elevation
- full open front verandah
- double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows
- stained glass windows
- intact interior features, such as a clinker-brick fireplace, light fixtures and ornamentation