Description of Historic Place

The B.C. Telephone Building is a one-storey brick-clad commercial building, located in the commercial district of Lower Lonsdale.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the B.C. Telephone Building is associated with its location in Lower Lonsdale, the commercial core of North Vancouver, and the earliest, most historic area of commercial buildings on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet. Lower Lonsdale grew explosively from the turn of the twentieth century until the general financial depression in 1913 halted the ambitious construction of the previous years. The streetcar, ferry to Vancouver and the Pacific Great Eastern railway converged at the south foot of Lonsdale Avenue, the major transportation hub on the North Shore. The area represents a formative period in B.C.'s economy, driven at the time by major industries including logging and shipbuilding.

Built in 1926, the B.C. Telephone Building is valued as an early commercial building in the City of North Vancouver. It was designed by the B.C. Telephone Building Department for use as the Company's local office space. The necessity of such a building indicates the growth of consumer technology, and the increased development and population growth of the area. The building is designed in a modest Classical Revival style, dominated by strong symmetry and a prominent triangular parapet, recalling classical architecture on a modest scale. The design intent was utilitarian, but was crafted with finely detailed elements, including interior elements such as mosaic tiles and fine oak millwork.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, City of North Vancouver

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the B.C. Telephone Building include its:
- cubic form, modest scale and symmetrical massing
- location at the streetline, with no setback
- flat roof with raised parapets
- brick cladding with precast concrete lintels and quoining
- original storefront with recessed entry, with original elements such as multi-paned transom windows, original tiling
- raised pediment at front with sheet metal dentil course at cornice
- granite front steps
- double-hung wooden-sash windows in side and rear facades
- original interior features such as oak millwork, mosaic floor tiling and lighting fixtures