Description of Historic Place

Redwood Park is situated on a wooded hill that slopes steeply southeast towards a predominantly agricultural area and slopes north and west towards the Grandview Heights area. The property contains many Redwoods and other coniferous and deciduous tree specimens and an accompanying under-storey of herbaceous vegetation.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Redwood Park lies in its association with the Brown family. David Brown homesteaded on the Clover Valley Road, now 176 Street in Surrey, in 1878, when the land was heavily timbered. Committed to the growing community, he was the area's first postmaster and later became a provincial Justice of the Peace. When his deaf twin sons David and Peter were twenty-one in 1881, Brown gave them each sixteen hectares on this hilltop. The brothers immediately planted redwood seeds that they had picked up in California, later planting fruit trees and laying out the park as an orchard. They also planted dozens of cedar, Ponderosa pine and fir, as well as imported plants from all over the North American continent, Russia and Japan, just for the love of trees. The orchard died due to a cold snap in 1955, ending the brothers' fruit farming enterprise. David and Peter lived on the property all their lives, eventually building a tree house that sat on stilts six metres high. Though it has burned down more than once, the tree house has been rebuilt and remains a feature of the park.

This park is additionally valued for containing the largest stand of Redwoods north of California, as well as for its wide selection of other tree species, particularly evergreens, from around the world.

Redwood Park is significant as an indication of the value that the City of Surrey places on its natural heritage. The City of Surrey owns Redwood Park, today a popular natural attraction in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. It has been recognized by the City of Surrey for having tree specimens that are exceptional in size, age and species.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, City of Surrey

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Redwood Park include:
- mature scale of the trees and forest canopy;
- densely forested areas with native under-storey of herbaceous species;
- open field with views toward Grandview Heights and agricultural lands;
- native and non-native mature tree species; and
- form, scale and massing of the reconstructed tree house.