Almstrand House

Description
Almstrand House is an attractive single storey wood frame house with a brick veneer exterior built in the 1930s located on the west side of North Fraser Drive in West Quesnel, BC. The historic place includes the building and the parcel of land it occupies.

Heritage Value
Almstrand House is located in West Quesnel which developed as a rural community with small houses and family farms. The growth of West Quesnel was moderate until a single-lane bridge across the Fraser River was constructed in 1929. The bridge provided a permanent link between the two Quesnel communities. These communities were amalgamated into one city in 1958. In 1971, the two-lane Moffat Bridge was built and growth in West Quesnel increased steadily.

While not in its original form, the house is a physical reminder of the people who shaped the development of Quesnel. The house provides a unique contribution to the streetscape and supports the overall character of the block. The houses along this section of North Fraser Drive have a lively and eclectic nature. The house is named for Carl Almstrand and his family who lived here for more than seventy years. Carl was a local carpenter.

Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Almstrand House include:

• a single storey wood frame building with covered porch;
• a steeply pitched gable roof;
• a brick veneer exterior and wood trim giving the building a warm texture;
• part of a group of houses of similar scale, size, and proportion;
• a small attic space with a window in the peak of the roof;
• a brick chimney;
• a rectangular shape;
• a projecting front entrance;
• symmetry in window placement and a central doorway.