Description of Historic Place

The William W. Forrester House is prominently situated on the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Fifth Street in the Glenbrooke North neighbourhood of New Westminster.

Heritage Value

The William W. Forrester House is valued for its age and architectural significance.

Constructed in 1909, this majestic Arts and Crafts-inspired home was designed by prominent architect C.H. Clow, who also designed an identical house at 317 Fifth Street.

Its architectural significance lies in its detailing, particularly its bay windows, roof dormers, milled brackets, stained glass and full-width front verandah. The house was featured in the British Columbia newspaper and described as a 'handsome residence…of substantial construction'.

Of further significance is the building's association with first owner William Waugh Forrester, a local contractor and prominent politician. He ran for provincial office but was best known as a long-time city councillor.

Additional value is given the house by the community for the years of restoration work that the current owners have carried out. Their efforts have revealed original elements, such as interior colonnades between the dining room and front parlour, detailed interior woodwork, and fireplace tiles. The main floor light fixtures were found and re-installed by the owners to the delight of the heritage community.

Source: City of New Westminster Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the William W. Forrester House include its:

Siting, Context and Landscape
- large symmetrical house set symmetrically on its property with central pedestrian walk to front door
- vehicular access from side street
- perimeter evergreen hedging

Architectural Elements
- classic box-style massing
- hipped-roofed front verandah with centrally positioned gabled portion (in line with front sidewalk and front door)
- dormers in original attic level subordinate in size to main roof
- hipped main roof form with lower pitch at perimeter
- shaped lookouts for horizontal eaves, related to regularly spaced vertical trim boards on walls below
- Italianate wood trim detailing, including corner boards, verandah pilasters, and oval window trim
- original brick chimney
- original double-hung wood windows including those with leaded-glass upper lites in wood sash
- original and/or replicated wood trim, banding, detailing
- original and/or replicated bevel siding and wall shingling