Description of Historic Place

112 West Hastings Street is a four-storey Chicago-style masonry commercial building on West Hastings Street in Vancouver.

Heritage Value

The value of 112 West Hastings Street is its location in a cluster of three- and four-storey early commercial buildings. Together they represent the patterns of retail shopping and services around the turn of the twentieth century in Vancouver. Smaller businesses flourished as they catered to the shoppers drawn to the larger outlets, as well as to the needs of the local residents. This building represents the diversity of businesses along the Hastings Street strip, all contributing to bustling, street-level retail activity.

Built in 1902 for owners Barr and Anderson to a design by architects Parr and Fee, the building has seen several businesses over the ensuing years. Barr and Anderson, leaders in the local plumbing industry, retailed bathroom fixtures from their showroom here. For several years, 112 West Hastings was the home of Ozonagram, Lowery and McAdams Publishers. By 1913, the tenants were the Hastings Athletic Club, Billie's Pool Room, a cigar shop, and a bootblack - all catering to the largely male population. By the 1940s, the tenants had changed to the Black and White Hat Store, Linforth Hat Manufacturing, and a print shop, reflecting the changing demographics of the area from a predominantly male clientele to a family oriented shopping area. Discount clothiers moved in during the 1970s as the area began to lose customers to the suburban shopping malls.

There is also value in the building's Edwardian architectural design. Parr and Fee were aware of evolving technology and used new techniques to advantage in their designs. The use of cast iron within the facade allows for over-sized windows on the front of the building, similar to both 122 and 126 West Hastings. There is a continuous string course with dentils below, at all of the fourth floor windows. The side pilasters change at this level from rusticated stone to smooth brick, indicating the possible later addition of the fourth floor level.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of 112 West Hastings Street include:
- its presence in a grouping of three- and four-storey early commercial buildings
- its functional relationship with other buildings within the Hastings Street strip and adjoining neighbourhoods
- built right to the lot line with no setbacks
- retail activity on the main floor
- characteristics of Edwardian commercial architecture, including the use of large rusticated stone pilasters on the second and third storeys, the splayed angle of the large wood windows, deep overhanging sheet metal cornice with large end brackets and heavy dentils, the fully-glazed front facade with floor-to-ceiling windows on the second, third, and fourth floors
- continuous stringcourse, with dentils below, at all of the fourth-floor windows
- smooth glazed brick on the fourth-floor pilasters