Description of Historic Place

The Eldstrom House is a two storey, front gable house with a side gable extension situated at the front of a long narrow lot with lawn and mature trees, and fronting a rural road. The historic place consists of the building footprint.

Heritage Value

The Eldstrom House, built by Lust Eldstrom in the early twentieth century, is recognized primarily for its historical connection to the fishing and farming history of the South Arm area of Richmond. This area was one of the earliest farming districts on Lulu Island, and retains much of its agricultural character today. In particular, the house represents the experience of settlers from Finland who arrived in Richmond in the late nineteenth century, settling along the sloughs and participating in the Fraser River fishery. Many eventually purchased land in the area on which they cultivated vegetables and livestock in addition to fishing.

Set at the front of a narrow lot, the design of the house is representative of Richmond's very early South Arm rambling utilitarian farmhouses, with its gabled roof and front verandah. The landscape with its large narrow lot and mature trees, and the orientation of the house to Finn Road and Woodward's Slough reflect the original settlement patterns in this area when transportation was primarily by boat.

Source: City of Richmond Clerk's Department File #4200-02

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements of the Eldstrom House include:
- The location of the house in the South Arm area of Richmond and the spatial orientation of the house to the front of the narrow lot facing the slough and the road
- The overall design of the house, including its L-shaped plan, rectangular massing, front gable roof with side gable extension, central chimney and front open verandah with shed roof and square columns
- Details of the construction including front and side gable dormers with returned eaves, fish scale shingles in the gable ends, and the front door