Description of Historic Place

The historic place at 169 East Hastings Street in Vancouver is a two-storey stone Edwardian commercial structure that is one of a pair of two-storey buildings set between larger buildings.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 169 East Hastings Street lies in the historic relationship between this area and the economy of early Vancouver. At the turn of the twentieth century, this area of town was developed as a shopping area as commercial activity spread outward from its early roots in Gastown. As the young city grew, so did its commercial district. It was the home of several hotels, lodgings, and small retail outlets which were established to serve the growing blue-collar population.

Designed in 1904 by architect A. Pare for McDowell, Atkins, Watson and Co., druggists, this building is typical of the two- to three-storey buildings erected with a commercial operation on the main floor and accommodation above. Although the early residents of the area had been chiefly male, the development of efficient transportation links meant that families could journey to the new city. Businesses which served the needs of female clients soon were established. In this site, this included a fruit merchant and a clothing store. By 1911, the drug store was owned by Owl Drug chain, one of several outlets in the Vancouver area. In the 1930s, the site became a confectionery with a restaurant. In the 1940s, the focus shifted to men's activities with a billiard hall, a cigar shop and a shoe shine stand. This change in demographics illustrates the shift of family residential life to other areas of town while the seasonal resource industry workers continued to frequent this area.

The building's simple architectural design reflects the growing trend of public taste from the highly decorated Victorian facades to the more refined ornament of the Edwardian era. This building and its neighbour to the east are dwarfed by the much taller rooflines of nearby hotels, lending a 'sawtooth' effect to the skyline.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the historic place include:
- rectangular form, and modest scale and massing
- built right to the lot line with no setbacks
- its functional and physical relationship with other buildings within the Hastings Street strip and adjoining neighbourhoods
- characteristics of the Edwardian style including: sawn sandstone construction on upper storey, ornate sheetmetal cornice with brackets and dentils, medallions (rosettes) along length of steel supporting beam above store front (beam is imprinted with maker’s name - Burrach), pattern of fenestration, granite corner pedestals with rusticated sandstone above
- continued use as retail shops