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Prince Rupert Meat Company Building

73 Water Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2003/01/14

Exterior view of the Prince Rupert Meat Company Building; City of Vancouver, 2004
Front elevation
No Image
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Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1912/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/03/08

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Prince Rupert Meat Company Building is a seven storey Edwardian era masonry warehouse building, located on the north side of Water Street in the historic district of Gastown.

Heritage Value

Gastown is the historic core of Vancouver, and is the city's earliest, most historic area of commercial buildings and warehouses. Built in 1912 for a meat packing firm, the Prince Rupert Meat Company Building is representative of the importance of Gastown as the trans-shipment point between the terminus of the railway and Pacific shipping routes, and the consequent development of centralized food distribution networks for the expanding population.

The Prince Rupert Meat Company Building is valued as an unusual example of a warehouse building from the pre-World War One era. Its exceptional height on a very narrow lot is an indication of the pressure to build at a high density on this prime location near the rail lines. As Vancouver prospered, substantial warehouses were built on piles on infilled water lots between Water Street and the Canadian Pacific Railway trestle. The massive cubic form, high density, large clear-span floor-plate and notable height of this structure pushed the limits of building technology, and are a clear indication of the extent and prosperity of wholesale trade during this period.

Source: City of Vancouver, Heritage Planning Street Files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Prince Rupert Meat Company Building include:
- location on the north side of Water Street, in close proximity to the waterfront of Burrard Inlet and the Canadian Pacific Railway yard
- siting on the property lines, with no setbacks
- spatial relationship to other late Victorian and Edwardian era commercial buildings
- form, scale and massing as expressed in its seven-storey height, flat roof and rectangular plan
- masonry construction: tan high-fire pressed brick on the front facade; concrete window sills; and common red brick side and rear walls
- fenestration: rectangular storefront openings; centre pivot wood-sash windows with transoms on the front facade; and regular window grid on rear facade
- irregular window sizing at different floor levels, indicating varying ceiling heights
- sheet metal cornice above storefront
- heavy timber frame internal structure and floor assemblies

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

City of Vancouver

Recognition Statute

Vancouver Charter, s.593

Recognition Type

Heritage Designation

Recognition Date

2003/01/14

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Warehouse

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Vancouver, Heritage Planning Street Files

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DhRs-230

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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