John and Ruth Herbert House

This charming cottage was once located on the edge of Memorial South Park at 1011 East 45th Avenue in Vancouver. It was moved here in 2018 to complete a property development by Steve Norman, the owner of 218 Queen’s Avenue, fulfilling his dream of saving two small heritage homes (this and a similar cottage from St. Patrick Street) and moving them onto one end of his substantial property. 

A fine example of Early Cottage style with its hipped roof over a full-length porch and single dormer, the house was built in 1911 on the edge of the park  following the completion of the Fraser Street streetcar line. 

The first residents were John and Ruth Herbert. John had recently emigrated from England and was a trackman and labourer for B.C. Electric Railway. 

In 2017 the City of Vancouver sought to consolidate the property on 45^th into Memorial South Park. The cottage was spared demolition when Norman was able to secure the house and relocate it to Manitoba Street by negotiating a Heritage Revitalization Agreement. Norman oversaw the year-long restoration work, making the key design choices, right down to the hardware. 

The interior of the house has been reimagined to enlarge the kitchen and much of what you see has been stripped and stained; refinished and replaced. Fixtures are period correct and are either salvaged or reproductions.

The transformation of an unwanted Vancouver house into a formally protected, cherished family home in New Westminster has been a win-win for all involved. But there’s also a happy ending for Vancouverites: the home’s former site is now an official Pollinator Meadow at Memorial South Park.