Description of Historic Place

The Henry Leaf Residence consists of a 2 storey, 'pioneer style', wood-frame house on an undefined country lot, in what is now an increasingly commercial area of NE Langley, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

Built circa 1900, the Henry Leaf Residence is significant as it is a surviving pioneer house built at a time and in a place where transportation links were considerably few and far between. It seems a rather more isolated spot for a homestead in Langley at this time than many other locations, considering that the only transportation route within easy access of the house in 1900 was the vestiges of the Telegraph Trail, a rough trail that eventually hooked up with Glover Road. The Salmon River and Old Yale Road were quite far to the south, and the Fraser River was an even greater distance to the north. It was not until 1910 that the BC Electric Railway passed within a short distance of the house. That the Leaf family was able to survive in such isolation is truly a remarkable statement about their ability to be both resilient and self-sufficient farmers.

The Leafs may represent a typical Canadian family that believed in the folkloric lifestyle that was being heavily promoted during this era by the provincial and dominion governments, land dealers, etc. in an effort to get people to move to and settle in British Columbia. It was commonly felt, at this time, that if a 5-10 acre piece of farmland was properly and intensely farmed, it could satisfactorily sustain a farmer and his family. A larger piece of farmland that was well-farmed might even turn a profit.

Henry Leaf was a blacksmith by trade, having immigrated to Ontario from England in the 1880s, and then moving to BC with his wife Louisa and brother Jim in 1890. He may well have believed that a good life was to be had as a farmer in BC, and in fact, he did achieve just that. He and his wife developed a successful dairy farm and became quite prosperous. The Leafs were an important pioneer family and are well-remembered for hosting an annual May 24 weekend picnic for their neighbours. Henry remained on the farm until he sold it in 1940 and moved with his second wife, Mary Jane Sinclair, to the Murrayville area of Langley.

Source: Langley Centennial Museum Heritage Files.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Henry Leaf Residence include its:
- Modest nature of the house
- Simple rectangular design
- Formal architectural qualities such as: massing, gable roof, eave brackets, wood shingle cladding, open front verandah, decorative verandah posts, square hewn logs, corner boards, and the size and placement of windows
- Original materials