221 Princess Street

221 Princess Street is situated on a wide lot on the north side of Princess Street between Second and Fourth Streets in the Glenbrooke North neighbourhood of New Westminster.

Constructed in 1944, 221 Princess Street is valued as a good example of 1940s housing in the neighbourhood. A hallmark of the building period was the use of relatively spare detailing that reflects a restrained modernism. While gentle in its modernity, this house nonetheless represents the emerging trend away from revival styles and towards a new international style.

221 Princess Street is also valued for its cultural history. According to neighbourhood lore, a former owner, who was a guard at the Penitentiary, used discarded screen doors to construct the back fence and was known as 'the mad Czech'.

Of interest on this site is the mature Black Walnut tree in the back yard, a neighbourhood landmark.

Source: City of New Westminster Planning Department

Key elements that define the heritage character of 221 Princess Street include its:

Siting, Context and Landscape

- side vehicular driveway (to garage behind)

- mature Black Walnut tree in back yard

Architectural Elements

- bungalow form (main floor over basement)

- simple hipped main roof, front gabled roof with contiguous west shed roof

- unpainted broken glass stucco cladding

- wood windows

- original brick chimneys

- slight embellishment of curved head of central window of front room

- windows grouped at corner of southeast room