Description of Historic Place

The Boothroyd House is a two-storey gable roofed Frontier house and one of the earliest pioneer farmhouses in Surrey. It is situated at the junction of the historic "Five Corners," in Surrey Centre, beside the original Coast Meridian Road (now 168th Street), one of the earliest roads in Surrey.

Heritage Value

The Boothroyd House is valued as representing the early pioneer history of Surrey, and is the oldest building in the Surrey Centre area and a valuable link to Surrey's first development. After pre-empting 65 hectares in Surrey Centre, pioneer settler George Boothroyd built the home now known as Boothroyd House, c.1875. The Boothroyds were the second family to settle in this area of Surrey. George Boothroyd was an active community member, serving on the early Municipal council and the first School Board, and an original member of both the Milner Methodist Church, Langley, and the Loyal Orange Society Lodge at Surrey Centre.

Because the settlement of the Boothroyds predates road construction in Surrey, the house is valued because it is a reminder of building methods and acquisition of resources for construction early in the community's development. The original portion of the house is built of logs; finishing lumber for the house was milled in nearby communities and floated along the Fraser and Nicomekl rivers then hauled to the building site. The house remains as a testament to the difficulty of construction in this once-remote area, and the determination of its early settlers.

The Boothroyd house is valued for its architecture, showing a high degree of sophistication in its use of classically-inspired architectural references, including the symmetry of the original structure, and modest window pediments and trim. The form of the farmhouse is enhanced by decorative brackets, balusters and lathe-turned columns. Additionally the house is a rare example of typical early mixed construction methods, with a log structure clad with more refined milled wooden elements.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, City of Surrey

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Boothroyd House include its:
- original setting and location in relation to the original road pattern
- form, scale and massing; two storey side gable form with two separate rear additions
- steep pitched side gabled roof with a gable roof extending from centre rear, covered by cedar shingles.
- wooden siding over original mixture of log and balloon frame construction
- symmetrical fenestration pattern
- full width open front verandah with wood verandah posts and decorative brackets
- double-hung wooden-sash 2-over-2 windows
- pedimented windows and doors
- square nails used in original construction
- pedimented window frames
- original internal spatial organization around a central stair
- surviving original interior features such as newel posts and handrail, single 30 centimetre high baseboards, crown moldings, fir tongue-and-groove floor boards, V-notched ceiling boards, and bedroom doors with windows
- original interior hardware, such as doorknobs