Abbotsford's agricultural riches attracted many pioneers and vestiges of those early days are evident throughout the valley in turn-of-the-century farmhouses, historic villages and homesteads. For example, Mill Lake was once the focus of a thriving mill operation (hence its name). It provided lumber for many original homesteads, including Trethewey House and the Sikh Temple which today, as the oldest standing Gurdwara temple in Canada, is a National Historic Site.
Clayburn Village Established in 1905 by the Maclure family, Clayburn Village was British Columbia's first company town; it processed high grade clay from Sumas Mountain into bricks that were exported as far away as Mexico and Hawaii. In its heyday in the early 1920s, The Clayburn Company employed 40 men and produced 40,000 bricks a day in a community that supported three stores, a bank, a school and a church.
Turn-of –the-century English Village Although the brick plant was dismantled in 1931 (local residents were paid half a cent for each clean brick they recovered), many of the village's original buildings remain. Today, they make up one of Abbotsford's most picturesque heritage communities, still reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century English village.
Self-Guided Walking Tour A self guided walking tour includes Foremen's Cottages, Clayburn Church, the schoolhouse which now houses a museum, as well as several stylish homes that reflect the upper hierarchy of the Clayburn Company.
Clayburn Village Store & Tea Shop The Clayburn Village Store & Tea Shop has been carefully restored and still serves the community with groceries, a deli and a charming tea-house.
Hummingbird Gallery The Hummingbird Gallery showcases quality First Nations art including masks, bentwood boxes, paintings, baskets and jewelry as well as print t-shirts and jackets.
Clayburn Comforts Soaps & Body Works Clayburn Comforts Soaps & Body Works have turned a 100-year old cottage into a tiny studio that handcrafts a variety of all-natural, aromatherapy body care products; its best seller is a brick-shaped all-in-one travel soap that's good for hair, face and body.
Historic Downtown With its refurbished buildings, public art pieces and special events, Historic Downtown has taken on a new lease of life. Many of the 1900s homes or office blocks now house boutiques and specialty shops – everything from a gourmet deli to antiques to Bikram Yoga to a chocolate factory. Shopping here is designed to work up an appetite so be sure to include a traditional afternoon tea – actually served any time of the day.
Trethewey House Built with the finest fir lumber produced at the mill on Mill Lake, this grand and beautiful 1920s country heritage home includes every amenity from indoor plumbing and coal fire central heating to a built-in vacuum. Note the chimney running up the bathroom wall to help warm the space! Each room is a showcase of authentic detail in furnishings and architectural finesse such as paneled walls, pocket doors, wainscoting, ridge caps and finials.
Trethewey Events Little wonder, perhaps, since employees worked under the threat of being fired if any piece of wood was marked with a knot. Trethewey House is an important interpretive museum of Abbotsford's development and hosts many events through the year, many of which are geared to remembering heritage crafts. The surrounding gardens contain many period plants; pathways lead to Mill Lake Park.
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