Abbotts and Future Sensing Dogs

Let's take a look at a place on Abbott Street in Gastown. Abbott Street was named for H.H. Abbot (1829 - 1915) who was a general superintendent for the CPR in BC.

This is 228 Abbott Street. It has been called the Hickey Block or the Abbott Cosmopolitan Rooms. Built in 1889, the Hickey Block is an early Gastown hotel.

This Victorian Italianate style building was one of the first brick buildings to be built after the Great Fire of 1886. It was a beautiful example of the craftmanship that existed in Vancouver as the city was emerging as Western Canada's predominant commercial center.

For a short time this was home to the Central City Mission until the mission's permanent home was built in 1911. Across the street at 233 Abbott Street.

When I read the above information it saddened me. I look at these photos and realize how this building has been left to deteriorate, this piece of our history could be vanishing. Hopefully someone will redo it.

Ming Wo Cookware has been in existence in Chinatown since 1917. Back then it was a hardware store and hardware stores sold everything. It was founded by Wong Chew Lip and in an article I read which was from 2006 the reporter was speaking with the grandaugher, Fontaine Wong. According to Ms. Wong it is still a family business and they have retained some of the original wood floors and shelving.

While walking today- I was on Cordova Street I think - I happened upon a street mosaic with an interesting story to it.

You might be furrowing your brow right now wondering what the importance of a yellow dog is. Well you remember the stories of Gassy Jack Deighton who founded Gastown - with a saloon - and was a character. He had numerous health problems (one theory is chronic heart and lung disease) and was bedridden in May of 1875. His yellow dog started howling the night of May 29 and Jack is reputed to have said "You son-of-a-bitch! There's something going to happen." And something did. That evening, at the age of 44, Gassy Jack Deighton passed away. Did the dog know something I wonder?

This is the Chinese Benevolent Association Building or the CBA building which was built in 1909. From its beginnings all through the 1960s this building and its inhabitents have played a vital role in the Chinese community in Vancouver.

Chinatown's leading businessmen at the time lent their time, expertise and other assets to ensure the building's construction. Wang Yu Shan sold the CBA the property at rock bottom prices, not making a profit at all;  Yip Sang, owner of the Wing Sang Company, supervised the construction work and Chang Toy, owner of the Sam Kee Company (the narrowest building in the world) also lent a hand.

The CBA was instrumental for many decades in trying to uphold the rights of the Chinese immigrants that were living not only in Vancouver but also across the country. The organization helped to supply education and health services; the CBA lobbied the government over such injustices as the Head Tax that was imposed on Chinese immigrants.
 
In 1910 a hospital for the Chinese was established in the building and seven years later the Chinese Public School became a tenant. Even though the CBA's influence and power started to decline in the 1960s due to the changing times, this building and the work that organization did remains important not only to Chinatown's history but to Vancouver as well.

Remember when I wrote on the Vancouver Club and couldn't find much information on it? Well this is the rear - last time I showed the Hastings Street entrance - and I managed to find some information after all.

January 1, 1914 is the date I found for this building. It is designed in a sophisticated Edwardian era structure with Classic Revival ornamentation. The architectural firm of Sharp and Thompson were responsible for this clubhouse that was made to resemble a substantial British townhouse - a home away from home if you will for the private club members.Interesting note. Shortly after winning the commission to build the Vancouver club, Sharp and Thompson won their most famous commisson - the University of British Columbia.

The above is a shot of downtown. You can see the train and the yeards, the W and the rear of a few Gastown buildings.

And a shot of downtown taken from East Hastings, around Victoria Drive. I was trying to get a really good photo of that balloon - the red dot you see - but it didn't work.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, CBA, Jack Deighton,Gastown,Chinatown,history,

Duncan and Shelly

For those of you who have been following my blog you may remember when I showed a photo of this building. I said that I thought it was a historic building but couldn't find any information on it. Instead I wrote on a gorgeous mural that was the across the street. Thanks to the HistoricPlaces.ca website I have now found information on it.

This is the Chinese Nationalist League Building also known as the Kuomintang Building or the Nationalist League Building. It was constructed in 1920 and is at the eastern gateway to Vancouver's historic Chinatown.

This building has historic significance for many reasons. One is that it was built by W.E. Sproat and is considered his landmark building. (Sproat usually built houses not commercial buildings) Sproat used a mixture of eastern and western styles which was common for structures built during this time.

Another historical fact of importance is the involvement in Chinese politics that this building has had. In 1920 the Chinese Nationalist League or Kuomintang (KMT) had this building built as their Western Canadian headquarters. After 1927 the KMT governed China so the league's influence in overseas communities increased.

The league that once governed this building was quite influential in Chinatown and raised money for relief back in China and contributed to educational projects in Vancouver. (The Chinese Public School was once a tenant in the building) As time went on though and more residents were Canadian born Chinese support for the KMT diminished.

The facts I have on this building are a little confusing. According to my source - which I have quoted earlier - this is known as the Shelly Building formerly the Duncan Building but as you can see it still reads Duncan Building outside. As well Equitable Real Estate, who now manage the building, refer to it as the Duncan Building.

Architectural firm, H.L. Stevens and Co. built this in 1911 and it was touted as being first-class, modern and fireproof. It is a good example of the commercial style with characteristics like grid like organization of the windows and wall surfaces. The elevations are divided into three sections: a base with large glass display windows, a mid-section where most of the floors are, and the attic, typically capped by a bold cornice.

The original owner and developer of this building, Howard J. Duncan, is a mystery. That could be because the building wasn't that successful to begin with. Location and timing - business rentals slowed in 1913 and with the advent of World War I soon after things were a bit sparse - contributed to the initial financial failure of the Duncan Building.

A real estate and financial firm - the London & British North America Company Ltd - acquired the building in 1916. But it continued to struggle and the top two floors were converted to use by the Young Woman Association.

In 1925 the building was purchased by Cora Marie Shelly who was married to entrepreneur and philanthropist, William Curtis Shelley. (Mr. Shelly was founded Home Oil, Pioneer Timber, Canada Grain Export, Nanaimo Sawmills, Canadian Bakeries, and Shelly Bakeries. He was also a politician)

I don't usually go inside a building but this time I did. And, as you can see, that was a good thing.

That's all for now. I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, KMT, Duncan,Shelly Chinese Nationalist League,William Curtis Shelley,history,