CITY OF COQUITLAM, STATEMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE, 2007
MACKIN RESIDENCE, 169 KING EDWARD STREET
Description of Historic Place
The Mackin Residence is a two-and-one-half storey wood frame Edwardian era residence with a later addition to the south, located on historic King Edward Avenue at the corner of Brunette Avenue. It faces the Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence, flanking the original northern entry to Fraser Mills–at one time the largest lumber mill in the British Empire.
Heritage Value of Historic Place
The Mackin Residence was built in response to a major expansion of Fraser Mills undertaken between 1907 and 1908. It is valued as a testament to the success of Fraser Mills, and also for its ties to the French-Canadian settlement of Maillardville. Built circa 1913, this residence was reserved for the person holding the second level of authority at the mill; the last manager vacated the residence in 1971. A move from the Mackin Residence to the Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence usually occurred as the result of a promotion or transfer in the upper echelon of management. These two houses flanked the original entry to Millside, the company town built north of the mill. Established in 1889, the mill initially suffered as its target market was foreign trade, which required the use of large ships to transport wood products. The Fraser River channel was too shallow to accommodate these vessels, and the mill–unable to compete with mills located on deep-sea ports–was forced to shut down. The river was finally dredged in 1905 and the mill resumed production in 1906. Its success was immediate and it could not keep pace with orders, but lacked funds for expansion. The following year the mill was bought by an investment syndicate based in the United States, which provided the capital necessary to upgrade equipment and expand the mill operations.
The Mackin Residence, along with a host of new buildings and amenities, was built during the major expansion of Fraser Mills, which also required the construction of new accommodation for workers at this remote location. An economic downturn in 1907 led to Anti-Asiatic riots that caused a local labour shortage, and as a result a Roman Catholic priest was hired by Fraser Mills to recruit new workers from lumbering regions in Quebec and Ontario. On September 28, 1909, 110 French Canadians, approximately 40 families, mostly from villages in the Hull and Sherbrooke regions in Quebec and Rockland, Ontario, arrived at the Millside Station. A second group of immigrants arrived the following year. The French-speaking settlers founded the community of Maillardville in close vicinity to Fraser Mills, on pay-by-the-month lots supplied by the company. The Mackin House was viewed as 'prestige housing' within the Millside and Maillardville community.
The Mackin Residence is also significant for its association with longtime Fraser Mills
management, the Mackin and Ryan families, who both lived in the Mackin Residence and Fraser
Mills Manager’s Residence at one time or another over several decades. The house was built by
the company for Henry James Mackin and his wife; Mackin was at the time the General Sales
Manager. In 1914, Mackin was promoted to Mill Manager and moved across the street into the
Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence. The same year, Tom Ryan was promoted to General Mill
Superintendent and moved into the Mackin Residence. In 1931, Tom Ryan was promoted to Mill
Manager and moved into the Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence and Ryan’s son, Maurice, was promoted to Assistant Mill Superintendent and moved into this house. Maurice lived here until 1944, when he was again promoted and moved to the Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence. At this time H.J. Mackin's son, Bill Mackin, moved into the Mackin Residence. Bill Mackin was responsible for the large addition to the south of the original residence..
The Mackin Residence is also significant as an excellent example of Edwardian era architecture that is displayed through its original foursquare plan, stately residential form, and substantially intact interior. The community heritage value of this house additionally lies in its public interpretation of Coquitlam’s history and heritage. In 1993, it was converted for community museum use, and is now operated as the Mackin Heritage Home & Toy Museum.
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Mackin Residence include its:
- landmark corner location, and orientation facing the Fraser Mills Manager’s Residence across King Edward Street
- residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its two and one-half storey height with full basement, with a hipped roof and hipped dormer
- wood-frame construction with wide lapped siding and bellcast shingling at the second floor
- Edwardian era detailing such as its original foursquare plan, exposed rafter tails and asymmetrical entry
- additional exterior details, such as its one tall corbelled external red brick chimney and one internal red brick chimney at the rear; and square porch columns
- windows including a cross-leaded window at the rear, 1-over-1 double-hung wooden sash windows and wooden sash casement windows
- interior details dating to the date of original construction such as wooden floors, window and door trim
- landscape features including a row of mature deciduous trees at the front property line