Colbourne House

Restored as a local museum in the Marpole neighbourhood, this frame house was constructed in 1912 by its Mr. Thomas T. Thomas, who lived there with his wife until 1919. Showcasing a palette of heritage paint colours, this Dutch Colonial Revival dwelling features a T-shaped bell cast gambrel roof. The house was sold in 1936 to Mr. Henry Colbourne, a CPR train conductor, where his family resided until 1981.

After years of abandonment, the three-bedroom residence was slated for demolition by the city. This directive ultimately created the Marpole Museum, an historical society promoting the neighbourhood’s rich history through the conservation of this heritage residence.

Opened to the public in 2005, the house is gradually being restored to its 1930s state. The residence is a great example of the type of working class dwelling that was built at the turn of the last century, when the neighbourhood was transitioning from a farming community to a township.

The house was painted in the early 2000s in Benjamin Moore Heritage Colours, keeping with the colour schemes of the early 1900s. In 2013, the house was repainted to its original colour scheme with the assistance of a VHF True Colours grant. It was also part of the 2022 Heritage House Tour Online and featured on the 2024 Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour.

Source

Marpole Museum and Historical Society website, Open House: Vancouver Courier article (O'Conner 2014)