Irving House facts for kids

The Irving House is a very old and special house in New Westminster, British Columbia. It's known as the oldest house in the Lower Mainland that is still standing just as it was built. This means it's still in its original spot and looks almost the same as it did long ago. Today, Irving House is a museum. It teaches visitors about the history of pioneers who settled in the Lower Mainland a long time ago.

History of Irving House

Building a Family Home

Captain William Irving built this house in 1865. He built it for his family, which included his wife and five children. This was a time when the city of New Westminster was just starting to grow. The Royal Engineers, who helped build the city, had finished their work in 1863.

The Irving family lived in this house for a very long time. Three generations of the family called it home until 1950. After that, the City of New Westminster decided to make the house a special heritage site. They turned it into a museum. The main goal was to teach people about the early history of the city.

Discoveries and Renovations

In 2009, museum staff found some old papers in the house. These papers were in the upstairs hallway and entrance. Experts believed they were made between 1897 and 1903. These old papers were carefully copied and printed in England. Then, they were sent back to the house to be put up again.

Since 2011, Irving House has had many updates. It now has modern fire and electrical systems. The house's structure was also fixed up. This was part of a project to make it look like it did when it was first built. For example, the outside of the house was repaired and repainted. In April 2018, the house's original gold wallpapers were also restored. More work might be done in the future to keep it looking great.

Features of Irving House

• It is a large house, about 4700 square feet.
• It has 14 rooms inside.
• The house has a strong brick foundation.
• The main part of the house is built from wood.
• It is designed in the Gothic Revival style. This was a popular building style long ago.
• Inside, some rooms have special metallic gold wallpapers.