Description of Historic Place

The Love House is a vernacular example of a late Victorian era wood frame farmhouse with later Arts and Crafts alterations and additions, that has been relocated to the grounds of the Burnaby Village Museum, a single municipally-owned property located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby. This two storey house has an L-shaped plan, with a compound gabled roof, overhanging eaves and a large wraparound verandah.

Heritage Value

The value of the Love House lies in its comprehensive representation of an early Burnaby farmhouse, and the typical additive growth of a home as the resident family prospered. Jesse Love (1849-1928) and his wife Martha Love (1858-1920) moved to Burnaby in 1893 with their family to start a fruit ranch and market garden on Cumberland Road in the East Burnaby district. Jesse Love was actively involved in community affairs, serving on the Burnaby School Board and also as a District Councillor in 1901 and from 1904-07. The original house was constructed by local builder George Salt and consisted of an entrance hall, dining room, lean-to kitchen, master bedroom and several rooms upstairs. As the family grew and prospered, additions were made to the house including a parlour, more bedrooms upstairs, and a large permanent kitchen. Jesse Love was actively involved in community affairs, and the kitchen became a local gathering spot for political discussion and civic organizations. The verandah, exterior shingle cladding, large windows, running water and electricity were eventually added as well.

The heritage value of this house also lies in its interpretive value within the Burnaby Village Museum. The site is an important cultural feature for the interpretation of Burnaby's heritage to the public. The house was moved to the Burnaby Village Museum in 1988 and both the interior and exterior were restored and interpreted to their 1925 period, including reproduction wallpaper.

Source:Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining features of the Love House include its:
- irregular form and massing
- compound gable roof with cedar shingle cladding
- Craftsman style exterior features such as a shingled exterior and triangular eave brackets
- multi-paned double hung 2-over-2 wooden sash windows; casement window assemblies with transoms in the Living Room
- large wrap around verandah
- interior features such as pressed tin ceilings, original wallpapers and cedar panelled kitchen
- reproduction Arts and Crafts parlour document wallpaper and border