Trethewey House built in 1919 for B.C. lumber baron Joseph Ogle “J.O.” Trethewey.
Our new permanent exhibit,
"The River People and the Land: Living within S’ólh Téméxw"
is now open for drop-in visits at our Heritage Gallery at Trethewey House.
“We are Stó:lō. We are the river people. We have lived with this land for as long as we can remember. The land that you call the Fraser Valley, the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Canyon, we call home. We moved freely across this land, from mountain to mountain, and from river to river. For thousands of years, this land was our family; this land was our home.”
The Stó:lō people live along the Fraser River and have a rich history with the land. The River People and the Land: Living within S’ólh Téméxw exhibit showcases the relationship between people, the land, and what is essential for the survival of human beings. But what would you do without your land, your home?
The exhibit details about how the Stó:lō have been impacted by European colonization. The loss of land by way of the reservation system has negatively affected the Stó:lō. Within this exhibit, contemporary Stó:lō members are looking to move forward and reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
The Heritage Site
President of the Abbotsford Lumber Company, J.O. was responsible for leadership of the company during the company’s boom years in the 1920s.
The Carriage House
Located next to Trethewey House is the Heritage Gallery, a reproduction of an original building used to house the Trethewey family automobiles, Joey’s motorcycle and pony.
Joey’s Playhouse
Joey’s Playhouse was rebuilt with the support of a BC Community Spirit Abbotsford 2000 grant funded by the Province of British Columbia and the MSA Museum Society (now Heritage Abbotsford Society). It is not open to the public at this time.
Upper Sumas Train Station
Originally situated at the corner of Lamson and Vye Road on Sumas Prairie, the station was a stop along the Chilliwack Line which skirted the southern shore of Sumas Lake prior to drainage. Construction of the Chilliwack Line between New Westminster and Chilliwack concluded in 1910.
Sylvia Pincott Heritage Gardens
The Sylvia Pincott Heritage Garden was opened in 2002 and was named after local environmentalist Sylvia Pincott, founder of Abbotsford’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program and leading advocate for the establishment of the Naturescape program, a provincial initiative.
Educational tours
gallery
History captured on film. Take a trip back in time of buildings and features located at the historical Trethewey House site.
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1919
The House is built in an “arts and crafts” style and is constructed using primarily local materials, making it distinct from other buildings of similar age within the City of Abbotsford.
Who we are
Trethewey House Heritage Site is operated by the Heritage Abbotsford Society, a registered non-profit society that depends on government grants, private donations and fundraising efforts to provide services to the people of Abbotsford.
more information
To learn more about our location, hours of operations, booking a tour and special events, please review our FAQ down below.
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Location & Parking
2313 Ware Street, Abbotsford, BC V2S 3C6. Parking can be accessed at the side of the Heritage Site off of Alta Avenue.
Telephone Number
604-853-0313
Hours Of Operation & Tours
Drop-In Tour* Hours:
Monday: 1-4 pm
Tuesday: 1 – 4 pm
Wednesday: 1 – 4 pm
Thursday: 1 – 4 pm
Friday: 1 – 4 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Office Hours (Closed from 12 – 1 PM for lunch):
Monday: 9 am – 5 pm
Tuesday: 9 am – 5 pm
Wednesday: 9 am – 5 pm
Thursday: 9 am – 5 pm
Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
*Interested in taking a tour with a group of 5+ individuals? For more information about tours, please consult our tours page.
Drop-in tours are available by donation.
Volunteering
Do you have a few hours a week or month you would like to share?
Are you looking for work experience?
Do you want to learn & share Abbotsford’s history?
At Trethewey House Heritage Site, volunteers are the backbone of what we do. As a small local non-profit, we rely heavily on the support of the community to help with programming, special events, and museum operations. Learn more about getting started on our volunteer page.
Membership
Join the Heritage Abbotsford Society and become an active force in the preservation and perpetuation of Abbotsford’s history, heritage, and culture. Your membership and financial support is crucial to the activities of the Society and goes directly to educating and connecting individuals with the history of the City.
You can learn more about our membership on our membership page.
Educational Programs
Field trips to Trethewey House Heritage Site are approximately 90 minutes long and consists of two 45-minute programs (please note: the Abbotsford – From Many Villages to City Outreach Program is not offered on site and is not available during field trips).
Looking for additional information about our school programs or how your program will work at Trethewey House Heritage Site? Our tours and programs page may have the answer! Still have questions? Please contact our Programs Manager at communications@heritageabbotsford.ca.
A joint venture with our sponsors
Without these donations, grants, and sponsorship’s, the Heritage Abbotsford Society would not be able to continue bringing entertaining, quality, and educational program offerings and events to the community.
Please consider supporting the Society and Trethewey House Heritage Site.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
We acknowledge the financial support of the City of Abbotsford.
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Contact Us
2313 Ware Street, Abbotsford, BC V2S3C6
Acknowledgement
The Heritage Abbotsford Society acknowledges that we are situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded, and shared territory of the Semá:th and Máthxwi Peoples who have lived in S’ólh Téméxw since time immemorial.