Vancouver Voyager

Monday, June 13, 2011

Hotels, Hotels, Hotels

This four-storey brick hotel with frontages to Alexander, Columbia and Powell streets was built in stages between 1905 and 1912. Originally it was called the City Hotel then the Anchor Hotel. The upper floors are now part of the adjacent building to the west on Powell Street and the Alexander Residence and 58 Alexander Street.

There has been a hotel on the western portion of this lot since at least 1887. In 1905 a new and strictly first class three-story City Hotel was built on the eastern portion of the site with an entrance off of Columbia Street. In 1910 the older City Hotel to the west was removed and the new structure was expanded into that area and another floor was added.

As with many buildings of this sort in the area the upper floors were used for accommodation and the lower for entertainment. (saloon, bar, pool hall)

This building is associated with Bill Swanson. Swanson owned an interest in the hotel and, like many hotel owners, was active in the liquor trade. He was also an early pioneer and known as a wrestler. Swanson tackled the best that the Klondike could throw at him and won.

Bill Swanson had a colorful past and his story of how he went from humble miner to hotel owner showed the greatness of our early settlers and the remarkable spirit they had.

This six-storey, buff coloured brick structure is a great example of the Chicago School of architecture and has been at 435 West Pender Street since its completion in 1913.Originally it was known as the Connaught Hotel and its main facade is articulated to emulate the classical column with distinct divisions of base, column, and capital. Its upper and lower storeys are detailed with multi-textured brickwork, such as recessed banding and corbelling, but not the applied carving and ornamentation otherwise common in architecture of this type. The center section remains undecorated with plain brick walls. This modest and straightforward detailing lends the structure a solid, dignified and practical appearance.

The Connaught Hotel was built as a hotel for visiting businessmen. At the time it was built this was an area full of businesses and close to the Canadian Pacific Railway station and piers.

Walter William Walsh commissioned architect Otto W. Moberg to design this hotel for him. This building was one of many holdings that Walsh held during the height of the Edwardian boom. As I have mentioned this was originally the Connaught Hotel and it later became known as the Niagra Hotel and had a prominent neon effigy sign of Niagra Falls. Now, as you can see, it is the Ramada Inn.

Little is known about Moberg. He was from Scandinavia and worked successfully in Vancouver for a few years before World War I. Although he designed some large downtown hotels, a few small apartments and industrial buildings he is best known for his work in both Hastings and Stanley Parks, notably the chalet-style 1911 dining pavilion in Stanley Park.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Bill Swanson, Vancouver,Otto W. Moberg,City Hotel,History,Connaught Hotel,Walter William Walsh

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wowed

I have so many photos of flowers and such tucked away in my files that it is time I showed them off. And we'll look at the history for the second half of 1931 at the same time. Be prepared to be wowed!

On June 8, 1931 the Royal Bank of Canada opened what was then its main branch at Granville and Hastings. The main banking hall of the building is still considered to be one of Vancouver's great rooms.

The first reeve of South Vancouver, William John Brewer, died on June 24, 1931. He had moved to the South Vancouver area after the Great Fire of 1886 destroyed his Granville street business and was originally from England.

The next day Dugald Campbell Patterson, a Burnaby pioneer, died. The family home - aptly named Patterson House - is a heritage home in Burnaby.

On July 3 of that year Canada's first baseball game that was played under lights took place at Athletic Park.

July 12, 1931 White Rock's Crescent Hotel was selling fresh crab salad for fifty cents.

The Vancouver Airport and Seaplane Harbour was opened by Premier Simon Fraser Tomlie on July 22. It was a four day celebration with 55,000 people showing up. The complex covered an area of 192 hectares (474 acres).

(A little note: Jack Kendrik worked as a commissionaire for the airport in the 1990s. He was born on the day it opened!)

On August 2 there was a 'Communist demonstration' near the Cambie Street Grounds. At least that's what the Province newspaper called it.

Also on the 2 and from the Province there was a statement that 'One person in every 300 in British Columbia is insane'. Interesting wouldn't you say?

It was perfect weather on August 15, 1931 when Canada's largest salt-water swimming pool opened it Kitsilano. The pool measured 200 by 60 metres [660 x 200 feet] and cost $50,000 to build.

For you sports fans. On August 28 former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey fought three men in two-round exhibitions at the old Vancouver arena located at Georgia and Denman. Dempsey was on his comeback tour. One of them that is.

On October 5 the Vancouver Art Gallery opened in a 1911 art deco building a few blocks west of its current location. Sculptor Charles Marega created large busts of Michelangelo and DaVinci to flank the entrance, and a frieze of medallions showing famous artists.

When the gallery moved to its present location and the building was demolished the busts and medallions ended up in the dump! Fortunately word got out and the fine pieces were rescued. The busts are with a private collector and the medallions are in gallery storage.

On October 10 West Vancouver sold 4,000 acres to a syndicate called British Properties for about $18.75 an acre for a total of $75,000. And just an interesting note. British Properties was financed by Guinness Brewing money.

Also in October of 1931 a plebiscite in North Vancouver approved the sale of beer by the glass.

On Monday's blog where I spoke of the engine in the sports car I said the original was a Country Climax engine. That was an error. It was a Coventry Climax engine. Thanks Dave for the correction.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, British Properties, Vancovuer Airport and Seaplane Harbour,Guiness Brewing,DaVinci,History,charles Marega,Royal Bank of Canada

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

One Person's Treasure

This is the Arco Hotel located at 81 West Pender Street. It has also gone by the name of the Patricia Lodge and other times been known as 2-Jays Cafe.

Owner John Walker had this six storey, two bay wide brick building built in 1912 to the designs of Braunton and Leibert. It stands on the border between the Chinatown district and the Downtown Eastside.

This tall, narrow structure is an elegant exercise in the Edwardian commercial style with an ornamented base and cap sandwiching a relatively plain central portion. The tall proportions are emphasized by the use of bay windows. In contrast side and rear are simple and unadorned. Perhaps someone was anticipating that other tall structures would be built next to it?

Originally there was retail on the lower level and lodging, presumably for single men, on the upper floors. That was typical of this area as you have seen from some of the other places I've shown you.

This building occupies the entire lot and is constructed of brick bearing walls spanned by steel beams over the ground floor and wood beams above. Natural light is allowed to reach every room with the recessed light well along the east side.

Located at 208 East Georgia Street - on the corner of East Georgia and Main Streets - this is the London Hotel. AKA the Pacific Hotel. It was constructed between 1903 and 1910.

(note on the name. It was originally known as the London Hotel and when the article I am getting my information from was written the building was known as the Pacific Hotel. But the photos in the article show the building as being grey. Last summer this building was redone and the name of the pub is the London Pub.)

This is another building that catered to the working man, in particular the seasonal working man. The upper floors were used for lodging while there was retail and a pub on the lower floor.

Noted contractor, Daniel McPhalen, not only acted as a contractor for this hotel but also owned it.

Historic Places.ca has a bit of information on this hotel but the problem is that it has been remodelled since the write up and I am not sure which parts are still valid. Like I know that there are no longer separate entries for men and women - that has been changed - and I am not sure what else has been. So I'll just show you a couple more photos.