New Westminster's name was
chosen by Queen Victoria, hence its nickname, The Royal City.
In the early 1860s New Westminster (incorporated in 1860) was the
premier city on the mainland, and the main port of call for a fleet of
sternwheelers transporting gold seekers, supplies and equipment to the
interior gold fields.
With the arrival of the railways came a real estate boom. Prosperous
citizens hired architects such as Samuel Maclure, Charles Clow or
George Grant to design their homes. New Westminster became
known as a City of Homes because of the grandeur of the houses gracing
its hillside.
Although many of these homes were later demolished and
replaced by apartments, some remain, especially in the Queens Park
historic neighborhood. Twice a year, homes are open to the public for
viewing for a spring tour and for winter parlor concerts, both
sponsored by the New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society.
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