Description of Historic Place

The Daniel Johnson House is a symmetrical two-storey Edwardian era house, with wraparound verandah. It has a significant set back from Crescent Road, in the neighbourhood of Elgin in Surrey. The house has been moved closer to the street from its original location closer to the riverfront.

Heritage Value

The Daniel Johnson House is valued as a representation of the early pioneer history of the neighbourhood of Elgin, one of the oldest communities in Surrey. Until 1875, Semiahmoo Trail was the only passable land route between New Westminster and Blaine, and with the construction of the Elgin Hotel in 1870 this became an important stop-over point for travellers to and from the United States. The low-lying land in the area flooded frequently, but after a series of dykes were constructed, agriculture became the predominant local activity, spurring a growth in population.

Daniel Johnson was one of the first settlers in the area, homesteading in Mud Bay on the Serpentine River in 1880. He later moved to the banks of the Nicomekl River on Crescent Road to expand his successful dairy operation. The house he built there serves as a reminder of the agriculture-based roots of the community and of the scale of housing and development, which reflected the success of the early farming communities of Surrey.

Daniel Johnson is important to the history of Surrey, not only because he is one of the pioneering settlers of the area, but also for his well-known large dairy farming operation and for the construction of his prominent home in Elgin.

The house is valued as an example of a grand Edwardian farmhouse. Sitting on a rectangular plan, the house has a large wraparound verandah with Classically-influenced ornamentation and architectural details, the scale of which reflect Daniel Johnson's successes. The fenestration and ornamentation also reinforce the strong design of the house and the unusual nature of a carefully decorated rural farmhouse.

The Nicomekl River borders the side of the property opposite Crescent Road. Its location along a body of water also demonstrates the importance of water to agricultural ventures, in particular Johnson's dairy farm.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, City of Surrey

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Daniel Johnson House include its:
- location on its original property along the Nicomekl River
- form, scale, and massing
- large wraparound verandah encircling the house with wood railing and square balusters
- hip roof with dormers
- rectangular double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows, in single, double and triple arrangement
- the second floor windows above the main entry feature triplet rectangular fixed sash windows with hexagon and diamond patterns
- oval fixed wooden-sash window with keystone motif in the surrounding frame
- entrance pediment centred on the verandah roof with flanking verandah posts and corresponding decorative beams