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Roycroft

4856 48 Avenue, Delta, British Columbia, V4K, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2005/11/28

Exterior view of Roycroft, the Grant Residence, ca. 1908; Delta Museum and Archives, #1980-52-232
Front and west elevations.
Exterior view of Roycroft, the Grant Residence; Corporation of Delta, Donald Luxton and Associates, 2005
Front elevation
No Image

Other Name(s)

Roycroft
Grant Residence

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1904/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2006/12/28

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Roycroft is a two-storey, wood-frame Edwardian-era residence, now used as a restaurant. Surrounded by mature landscaping, the house is distinguished by an octagonal turret. It is located on a corner lot at 48th Avenue and 48B Street, in the Ladner Village area of Delta.

Heritage Value

Historically known as Roycroft, this impressive residence is one of the grandest Edwardian-era homes in Delta. It was built in 1904 for Duncan B. Grant, a partner in the Grant & Kerr Sawmill, and his wife Mary. As part owner of one of Delta's major enterprises, Grant was one of Delta's leading residents. When re-establishing the sawmill at Port Guichon from the western side of Chilukthan Slough, Grant also relocated to be closer to the mill and built this residence. The rebuilding of the mill and the construction of Roycroft reflect the continued development, prosperity and optimism within the Ladner and Port Guichon areas of Delta at this time. The year before, the Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company, which connected Vancouver Island to the rail lines of the mainland, had established the first rail service to Port Guichon, with daily steamer service to New Westminster and Victoria, making the Ladner-Port Guichon area a booming regional hub.

Roycroft represents a transition between the elaborate Victorian residential styles and the more simplified designs of the Edwardian era. Its construction combines features from the familiar Queen Anne Revival style, such as an octagonal corner turret, with elements of the newly popular Classical Revival style, evident in the symmetrical, hipped roof plan and a stylized Palladian window. The contractors for the house were prominent Delta farmer and builder, David Price, and Langley area builder, Thomas Shortreed. Price (1860-1933) emigrated from Wales in 1883, and sometimes acted as designer as well as contractor on his projects, as seen in the elaborate house 'Burrvilla' (1905-06), which he designed and built for his brother-in-law, Henry Burr. It is not known whether Price used a pattern book design, or adapted a similar plan for this house. The exterior millwork typifies the architectural elaboration still considered fashionable at the time. The use of intricate ornamentation was facilitated by the introduction of steam-driven band saws, illustrating the rise of industrial production and its application within the context of Delta's growth and development.

Source: Corporation of Delta

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of 'Roycroft' include its:
- prominent corner location
- residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its two-storey plus crawlspace, square plan with projections, including an octagonal turret
- hipped roof with bellcast eaves; hipped roof front dormer with bellcast eaves; and broad, closed, wooden tongue-and-groove soffits
- wood-frame construction, with original bevelled wooden siding under later asbestos cladding
- elements of transitional Edwardian-era architecture, including: lathe-turned porch columns and balusters; a stylized Palladian window; and leaded and patterned coloured glass windows
- additional exterior features such as an open, front porch with wooden tongue-and-groove soffits and shed roof; glazed front entrance door; and second storey balcony with glazed access door
- fenestration, including: double-hung 1-over-1 wooden sash windows; living room windows with diamond patterned upper-sash muntins, with obscured and coloured glass, and bevelled glass in the lower sash
- substantially intact interior room layout and configuration
- interior features such as: wooden staircase; wide window and door casings; wide baseboards; panelled wooden doors; and double pocket doors
- complementary landscape features including mature maples and holly

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

2005/11/28

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Peopling the Land
Settlement

Function - Category and Type

Current

Commerce / Commercial Services
Eating or Drinking Establishment

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Thomas Shortreed

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Corporation of Delta

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DgRs-79

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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