Clarkes Estate General Store

Description:

Clarkes Estate General Store is a two-story building with a false front that makes it look squared at the top. There is an entrance on the right-hand side and a carport on the left where gas pumps used to be. The upper floor has three small windows, the side of the building has none, and the bottom floor is fronted by windows that face Dewdney Trunk Road.

History:

This building was originally built by Mr. and Mrs. Clarke in the early 1900s, a time when the area hosted a lively community following the introduction of the dam. Formerly known as Clarkes General Store, the building hosted gas pumps, a restaurant, a grocery store, and living quarters in the rear portion, along with a small community center that included a dance floor upstairs. The store was owned by the Clarkes until 1985 when Mrs. Clarke passed away and the current owners purchased it from her estate. It was closed for two years while being brought up to code with features that included a new foundation (although most of the building is original). In 1987 the building was re-opened with the new name Clarke’s Estate General Store.

People Associated with the Site:

Mr. and Mrs. Clarke were the first owners. When Mr. Clarke passed away, Mrs. Clarke ran the store with her sister. After Mrs. Clarke passed away in 1985, the store was sold to Howard and Darlene Wong.

Architectural Features:

A false front on the building makes it look very flat and square and leads one to believe that there is a flat roof. However, there are two slanted roofs; one large on the main portion of the building and one smaller on the right.

Landscape:

Only the store building can be seen from Dewdney Trunk Road, as it is directly adjacent to the road. Beyond the store, in the backyard, there is a large open grassy area with a gazebo and a creek running through the west side of the property. At one time there were cabins on the west side of the creek, but these were torn down as of 1985 and the area is now an open grassy field as well.

Where to get further information:

The Mission Community Archives

Community Reference File 702.20 CLA 1. Oral history transcript from Mrs. Clarke. Date Unknown.

Wong, Howard and Darlene. Oral History. Documented by… April 2009. LOCATION?