Description of Historic Place

The Dixon House and Barn site consists of a three storey wood frame house, a two storey gable-roofed barn, and a landscape consistent with a farm. It is located in the Milner district of central Langley.

Heritage Value

The Dixon House and Barn farmstead is significant for its historic, aesthetic and cultural values. It is one of two remaining historical farms in this part of Milner that still has an intact barn, and it represents the social and economic pattern of its time and place.

Built circa 1916-1918 for Herbert and Emily Dixon, the house and barn are situated on land that had been a part of the Hudson's Bay Company farm in the 19th Century. The farm's location is noteworthy for its physical connection to the community of Milner, an area that expanded once the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) established its new route in 1910. The settlement of Milner is of historic importance as an early agricultural community and for its association with major transportation routes, such as Glover Road and the BCER line.

Herbert Dixon was the son of pioneer Alfred Black Dixon, who arrived in BC in 1889. Herbert and Emily continued in the pioneering tradition by settling in Langley during a period (World War I) that offered no guarantees and was stressful for farming families who wished to succeed in their operations.

The house is attractive with a square floor plan and a wraparound verandah. It is unusual for its projecting bay windows and its remarkable octagonal corner bay window on the upper floor. Its location on the front left corner of the property, encircled by mature trees, speaks to its landmark status. Its relationship to the barn helps define the rural nature of the setting.

The Dixon House, typical of the World War I era, is one of the most intact farm houses in the community. Few, if any, alterations have been made. It is grander than other farm houses in the region, which may reflect the financial status of the Dixon family. The barn, used to shelter dairy cows and store supplies, is characteristic of its era and significant for being extant with the house. This barn also indicates the apparent prosperity of the Dixons' situation.

The Dixon House and Barn site is a cultural signpost for Langley, representing a shift in farming lifestyle from self-sufficiency to that of commercial production. The BCER rail line across the street from the farm provides a reminder of the value of railways in providing farmers with a means to efficiently market surplus produce. Quality farmland coupled with accessible transportation corridors signalled the beginnings of farm commerce in the area.

Source: Langley Centennial Museum, heritage files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Dixon House and Barn include:

Farmsite:
- Its location on Glover Road, across the street from the former BC Electric Railway line,
- Original configuration of the barn and house to each other, to the property and to the intersection,
- Enough trees (such as poplars, mountain ash, conifers, and fruit trees) to represent the original setting,
- The pastoral quality of the property

House:
The architectural elements and qualities, such as:
- Unusual bay windows, including an octagonal corner bay on the second floor,
- Square floor plan, with wrap-around open porch with square pillars and corner boards,
- 1x4 tongue-and-groove fir ceiling, mitred at the corners of the porch,
- Bell-cast roof with porch projections,
- Drop siding,
- Distinctive living room windows,
- Its grand nature,
- Its relationship to the barn and the site

Barn:
The architectural elements and qualities, such as:
- Strong, simple post and beam construction,
- Its gabled roof,
- The dimensions of the vertical sawn lumber siding,
- Its relationship to the house and the site