McLeod Farm

McLeod Farm, also referred to as Edgemont Farms, is a large acreage (23 hectares, 57 acres) containing actively farmed land, agricultural buildings and a two storey wood frame house. It is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of 30 Street SW and Foothill Road in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Although the house is not clearly visible from the road due to its location near the centre of the farm, it is identified by its Wedgewood blue exterior. The historic place includes the house, agricultural buildings and the acreage on which the structures are sited.

Constructed by Armstrong contractor William T. Holtby in 1894, the house on McLeod Farm and the farm itself are valued for their historic, cultural and aesthetic significance within the community. In particular, the house is significant as one of the few remaining examples of pre-1900 residential construction in the community, and the farm is significant for its association with the MacLeod/McLeod family.

The farm was originally homesteaded by one of the early settlers and pioneers in the area, William Wesley Shaw. Its other common name, Edgemont Farms, is believed to have been given by the next owner of the farm, Charles Ehlers. McLeod Farm is important for its historic and continued use for active farming and as a symbol of the importance agriculture had in Salmon Arm's early days and continues to have today.

McLeod Farm is valued for its association with John Walter MacLeod, who took over ownership and operation of the farm in 1911. MacLeod was active in the community and was involved in various local organizations, including sitting as a director on the Board of the Salmon Arm Farmers' Exchange for 17 years and on the Salmon Arm Creamery Board. He was also a member and officer of the Farmer's Institute and served on District Council from 1932 to 1935. The farm is still in the MacLeod/McLeod family over 100 years later.

The house on McLeod Farm has been added to in the past but the original structure with the hipped roof is still clearly identifiable. The gable dormers on the second storey and the extensive, shallower-pitched, wrap-around verandah add to the aesthetic value of the house, as do the surrounding mature trees and landscaped yard. Described by the Inland Sentinel in 1894 as the 'best in the valley', the house may have been somewhat more prestigious than other residences associated with farms in the province during this period. The exterior of the house has been maintained in a way that has preserved its heritage character.

Source: City Hall, City of Salmon Arm

Key elements that define the heritage character of McLeod Farm include its:

Site:

- Extensive plantings and landscaping around the house

- Area sufficient to support active agriculture

Buildings:

- Brick chimney

- Construction, characteristic of, but possibly more prestigious than, most residential construction associated with farms during its era

- Wrap-around verandah with shallower-pitched roof

- Slightly elongated hipped roof form

- Gable dormers on second storey

- Remaining evidence of pre-1900 construction

- Accessory buildings on the farm