1101, 1107, 1113, and 1119 Thurlow Street sit on what was originally one city lot and were built in 1903 by contractor B. Davidson for owner Robert C. Doyle, a doctor that was more interested in real estate speculation than medicine.
Most of these homes were built with the purpose of being rental homes and originally were identical. Except that 1101 Thurlow was a mirror image of the rest. In the 1920s, 1107 was altered and slightly enlarged in a renovation. 1101 Thurlow has been altered numerous times in recent decades.
1101 has had stucco added, the front porch enclosed, a garage and deck added but the interior was left relatively intact. The last alteration, a few years ago, removed most of the heritage features from the interior and many of the remaining ones on the exterior. (Not everyone likes heritage) However there is still original cladding under the stucco exterior.
The other houses, including 1107 Thurlow, have survived well and when restored by the society were found to have a remarkably high degree of interior heritage features (though some were hidden) as well as most of the original exteriors intact.
By 1930 several of the Mole Hill homes had many tenants living in tight quarters. The house at 1069 Thurlow - which was demolished in 1977 - had three families and four roomers living an area with more than likely two shared water closets and one bath. That house had been built by Peter Agren in 1906 and quite similar to 1136 and 1140 Comox Street.
1077 to 1083 Thurlow were sometimes called the Thurlow Apartments and were two wood frame, house-like apartment buildings. Later they were joined together along with the house at 1069 Thurlow. All were built between 1906 - 1907.
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