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Historic Clayburn Village

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A Charming Heritage Village

Nestled at the base of Sumas Mountain in the Fraser River Valley is a charming spot called Clayburn Village. One of the things that makes it so special is that the people who live there understand its history and the importance of preserving it, for this was the first company town in British Columbia. In 1905, the Maclure family built a plant to produce bricks of fireclay taken from the nearby mountainside. The village was created by the Maclures to provide homes and services for the men employed in the Clayburn Company plant. Of the thirty-five original buildings in the village, nineteen remain intact. Two of them are on the Federal Register of Historic Places in Canada. Many have been lovingly cared for and restored. A stroll through the village will take you past all of the buildings I have showcased here.

The Red Brick Clayburn Church

This church was built in 1912 from bricks donated by the Clayburn Company, and was home to a Presbyterian congregation until 1958. The Clayburn Village Community Society bought it in 1969 and it was restored in 1978. It was an important part of the life of the village and is still a sought-after location for weddings. The sign in front of the church says:

This lovely pioneer church served the community from 1912 to 1958. The cornerstone brick was laid by Margaret Cooper, the first bride to walk down the aisle. Margaret's uncle James, a Presbyterian missionary, performed the wedding ceremony and remained as the first minister. After 1958, the church was not used as a place of worship until it was restored in 1978. The building was dismantled brick by brick and board by board, with the bulk of the interior brickwork remaining intact and 20% of the original exterior bricks used to construct a feature wall in the new extension to the old building. Stained glass windows, original chairs, two sets of double doors and the altar rail were also salvaged and restored, but the belfry had to be rebuilt from new materials.

The restoration of the church was undertaken by the Matsqui-Abbotsford Heritage Society, assisted financially by private donations and grants from the Provincial Government and Heritage Canada.

The Schoolhouse

Clayburn School was built in 1907 as a one-room schoolhouse, but in 1925 a basement was added to double the classroom space. It operated as a public school until 1983. As well, it was an important gathering place where the villagers could attend concerts, plays, Saturday night dances and other social events. The Clayburn Village Community Society purchased the schoolhouse in 1991 and started restoration work on it in 2000. A museum in the basement is open on Saturday afternoons in the summer by donation.

The Brickworks Manager's House

Built around 1906, this is one of the earliest houses of the village and Clayburn Company owner, Charles Maclure, lived here until 1909. Like a number of the other houses, this was designed by the well-known architect, Samuel Maclure, Charles' brother.

If you would like to experience Clayburn Village more intimately, you might like to stay in this house which is now a bed and breakfast.

www.clayburnvillagebb.com

The Accountant's House

This lovely house was designed by Samuel Maclure and is the second largest in the village, reflecting the important position the account held in the Clayburn Company. The walkways and gardens are delightful as I hope you can see from this photo taken from the back of the yard.

Samuel Maclure is known for his Tudor Revival house designs. He was influenced by the Arts and Crafts style of architecture. He completed over 450 commissions in his career and designed many beautiful and important buildings in British Columbia, possibly the most impressive being Hatley Castle in Victoria.

The Foremen's Cottages

Five foremen's cottages were built directly across the road from the brickworks in 1906 to 1908. They seem very small compared to today's houses.

At the height of production, the brickworks employed up to 180 men and had become the largest producer of bricks in the province of British Columbia. Clayburn bricks were shipped to such distant locations as Hawaii and Mexico.

The General Store

Every visit to Clayburn Village must include a stop at the general store. You have never seen so many kinds of penny candy - jars and jars, including some you've only read about in books. You can browse the specialty foods or have a light meal at one of the tables by the pot-bellied stove. If the weather is pleasant, you could sit outside in the trellis garden and enjoy tea and scones. The store was built in 1912 and belonged to the original owners until 1972. Recently it has been restored and serves as a wonderful reminder of life one hundred years ago.

Clinker Brick Houses

I was fascinated by these strange, lumpy and mishapen bricks. It turns out that there are two houses in Clayburn Village made from these clinker bricks. The odd shapes were caused by overheating in the factory kilns, Although the clinker bricks were rejected by the Clayburn Company factory, they actually became popular in other parts of the world during the first decade of the 1900's and were used for architectural detailing.

The Brickworks Ruins

Bricks from Clayburn were highly valued by architects for their color and quality. They were used in such buildings as St. Paul's Hospital and the World Building in Vancouver, and the Armories and Empress Hotel in Victoria.

But times changed. By the end of the 1920's, the brickworks' production had been merged with their plant in Kilgard, so by 1931 the Clayburn site was no longer in use. Residents of Clayburn Village were paid half a cent for each reusable brick they could salvage. Before long, there was nothing left of the factory but its foundations. The remains of the brickwork plant can still be seen at the undeveloped historic site on the north side of Clayburn Road.

Establishments in Clayburn Village

Places you will want to visit

Clayburn Comforts Soap and Body Works: Clayburn Comforts Soap and Body Works is a cottage industry in the village. The cornerstone product is handcrafted soap molded into bricks with the CLAYBURN stamp, just like the original clay bricks. The soapworks (brickworks, soapworks - get it?) and shop are in a delightful outbuilding behind one of the foreman's cottages. Go through the arbour and along the path through the garden, which is well worth a visit. Sue has many handcrafted body care products for sale and mail order is available on her website.
Clayburn Village Bed and Breakfast: Would you like to live in the manager's house for a day or two? The Clayburn Village Bed and Breakfast allow you to do just that. How about a romantic getaway, or unique weekend of solving a murder mystery for your party of 6 to 8 people?
Clayburn Village Store: The general store is a feast for the eyes - shelves of candy, specialty cheese, pasta, baked goods, jams, teas, coffees and many other fun-to-browse gift items. Some of the space is devoted to the tea shop where you can enjoy a light meal or snack. Or bring a child with you and enjoy the look on their face when they first see the jars upon jars upon jars of penny candy!
Lepp Farm Market: Although the Lepp Farm Market is not in one of the heritage buildings, you will enjoy stopping by if you're in the area. Produce, dairy, and specialty grocery items; their own antibiotic and growth hormone-free meat; deli cuts created in-house and smoked in the onsite smokehouse; home-made soup cooked up in the 40-gallon kettle; artisan bakery products all tempt you, and you can make up your mind while you have something to eat at the open kitchen Bistro Deli. You might even sign up for one of the specialty cooking classes.

Explore Canada with Me

More of British Columbia worth seeing

Victoria, the City of Gardens: In a province of exceptional beauty, Victoria still stands out of one of Canada's most gorgeous treasures.
Vacation Vancouver: See the innovative destination video. "It's You... Vancouver". Original song by Watasun. Mouthwatering views of Vancouver.
Trans Canada Trail: This is the official website of the Trans Canada Trail which goes directly through Clayburn Village. It is "the world's longest and grandest trail" - 16,500 kilometres and still growing.

Visit Beautiful British Columbia

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Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Possibly one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Maybe you should be planning your next vacation!

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You are welcome to leave a comment:

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JoanneOtt Apr 27, 2012 @ 2:54 am | delete

I've lived in BC for almost 20 years and admit I have not heard of this town. It sounds like the kind of place I would enjoy though.

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jimmyworldstar Jan 28, 2012 @ 6:36 pm | delete

The village looks very well preserved, I wonder if it looked the same in the town's heyday.

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peppypatricia Jan 28, 2012 @ 12:28 pm | delete

Hi there. I was really surprised to see your lens on Old Clayburn Village. I've been there many times as I lived in Abbotsford for over 20 years, now residing in Chilliwack. Lens is very nicely done.

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curious0927 Jan 26, 2012 @ 7:04 pm | delete

Really nice lens! I want to walk around right now! Shop in the "Soap" place. So nice! Blessed!

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davespeed Jan 26, 2012 @ 4:32 pm | delete

Terrific lens! Clayburn sounds lovely. I'd really like to visit it. All the best.

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PattB Jan 26, 2012 @ 2:11 pm | delete

Very nice lens! I was just thinking a map would be great and found one below...you thought of everything!

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Tipi Jan 25, 2012 @ 10:30 pm | delete

How beautifully presented with such love...blessed with a smile!

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---Chazz Jan 24, 2012 @ 5:28 pm | delete

Beautiful lens and fascinating history. So glad to hear it is being preserved. Blessed and featured on "Wing-ing it on Squidoo," a tribute to the best lenses I've found since donning my wings.

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Art_Aspirations Jan 24, 2012 @ 11:34 pm | delete

I am honored by your tribute. Thank you very much for including me on Wing-ing it on Squidoo.

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Joie Jan 24, 2012 @ 3:54 am | delete

What a beautiful lens! I lived in the interior of the province for six years, but never knew about this historical village. Maybe I can visit next time I travel that way to visit Grandma
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