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Online Heritage Inventory

Ida Steves House

General Information
Thumbnail photograph of Ida Steves House
Click to see full image
Type of Resource: Building
Common Name: Steves House No.2
Address: 4431 Steveston Highway
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name): Steveston
Construction Date: 1915
Current Owner: Private
Designated: No

Statement of Significance
Description of Site
The Ida Steves house is located in an area that has been subdivided and redeveloped with later suburban style homes. The house is constructed in the Craftsman style, with a gabled roof and a verandah. The house is set back slightly from the street, and has significant planting associated with it.

 Statement of Values
As the home of Ida Steves, daughter of Richmond pioneer settler Manoah Steves, the heritage significance of this house lies in its historical association with the Steves family. With the house originally set on its own 10-acre parcel, it is associated with the pattern of early large lot subdivision for agriculture which occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The house is an excellent example of the early Craftsman style, with details added by Ida Steves, including the many large windows. It has cultural significance in its association to Ida Steves, who left memoirs that are an important historic record describing the everyday lives of the early pioneers.

 Character Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the site include:
· The Craftsman style of the house as epitomized by the front gable roof, side gable dormers, full verandah with a shed roof and square columns, clapboard and wood shingle cladding, triangular eave brackets and wooden sash casement windows.
· Mature landscape features, such as holly, cedar and fir trees, with rhododendrons as part of the foundation planting.
· Its Steveston location and cultural association with the Steves family.

 History
The Ida Steves house is located in an area that has been subdivided and redeveloped with later suburban style homes. The house is constructed in the Craftsman style, with a gabled roof and a verandah. The house is set back slightly from the street, and has significant planting associated with it.

 Architectural Significance
Architectural Style
Craftsman

 Building Type
Domestic

 Name of Architect or Builder
Designed by Ida Steves; builder unknown

 Design Features
The house is rectangular in plan with a concrete foundation with asymmetrical massing overall; the front façade massing is symmetrical. The roof is a front gable with side gable dormers and a gable extension; the roof cover is cedar shingle. There is a brick chimney located side left to the roof. The house is clad with clapboard siding at the foundation level with wood shingle above. There is a prominent open front verandah; it has a shed roof with a front gable supported by square columns. All of the gables have decorative triangular eave brackets. The front stairs are wood with wide railings. The windows are large and are multi-paned wooden sash casement. The house is painted a pale coffee colour with white trim; the original house colour is not documented. The house is beautifully maintained with all of its details virtually intact; it has great aesthetic appeal.

 Construction Method
Wood frame construction.

 Landscape Significance
Landscape Element
Mature Garden

 Design Attributes
Although the front garden has had a recent renovation, with concrete pavers and landscape tie planter walls installed, the property still retains many mature landscape features, such as holly, cedar and fir trees, and rhododendrons as part of the foundation planting.

 Integrity
Alterations
The house has been restored; all alterations are considered minor only.

 Original Location
Yes

 Condition
The house is in very good condition

 Lost
No

 Documentation
Evaluated By
Denise Cook BLA, PBD (Public History)

 Date
Sunday, September 24, 2000

 Documentation
Inventory Sheets by Foundation Group Designs, January 1990
“Heritage Inventory Phase II” by Foundation Group Designs May 1989

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