Davis Residence

The Davis Residence, constructed in 1914, is valued as a reflection of the early development of the Ioco townsite, a company town developed by Imperial Oil near its refinery on the north shore of Burrard Inlet. The site was selected in 1914 and subdivided in 1921. Forty new workers' houses were designed by prominent local architects Blackadder and Mackay and built by the Dominion Construction Company of Vancouver. Fifteen additional houses, originally situated on the Ioco grounds, were also moved to the townsite, creating an instant community. The houses were situated strategically according to rank, with lower paid workers assigned to the western side of the townsite. The town also included a community hall, two grocery stores, a restaurant, a meat market, churches and a school. The surviving residences represent the birth of Ioco as a community and company town.

The Davis Residence is significant because it dates from the earliest establishment of the townsite, and because it is the last remaining two-storey Edwardian-era residence in Ioco. Furthermore, this is the only surviving house from the original Ioco settlement. The Davis Residence was among fifteen houses, originally situated on the Ioco grounds, that were moved to the new townsite, creating an instant community. Designed in the Foursquare style, the house is defined by its symmetrical massing, pyramidal roof and front projecting verandah. Its modest detailing and functionality reflect the needs of Ioco's working population. The house is further valued for its association with the first owner, James Davis, who worked as a stillman at the Imperial Oil Company refinery.