1214 Denman Street

 

1214 Denman Street; about 1913 [sic; probably 1908 to 1911]; detail from postcard: English Bay from pier; Vancouver City Archives; AM1052 P-14; https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/english-bay-from-pier.

 

1214 Denman Street was on the east side of Denman Street, south of the intersection with Davie Street.

Legal Description: District Lot: 185; Block: 62; south half of Lot 14.

The building appeared in the 1901 and 1903 versions of a Vancouver fire insurance plan, as well as in later plans.

 

1200 block of Denman Street, east side; detail from Insurance plan – City of Vancouver, July 1897, revised June 1901 – Sheet 45 – Comox Street to English Bay and Bidwell Street to Stanley Park.

 

 

1200 block of Denman Street, east side; detail from insurance plan – City of Vancouver, July 1897, revised June 1903 – Sheet 45 – Comox Street to English Bay and Bidwell Street to Stanley Park.

 

1200 Block Denman Street – detail from Goad’s Atlas of the city of Vancouver – 1912 – Vol 1 – Plate 15 – Broughton Street to Denman Street and Davie Street to English Bay

 

1200 block of Denman Street, east side, detail from Plate 64 [Cardero Street to Comox Street to Denman Street to Beach Avenue/Burnaby Street]; Chas. E. Goad Company; Vancouver City Archives, Item No. 1972-582.39; https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/plate-64-cardero-street-to-comox-street-to-denman-street-to-beach-avenue-burnaby-street.

There are three specific references to 1214 Denman Street in Heritage Vancouver Society’s database of historic building permits: http://permits.heritagevancouver.org/index.php?cID=1 [searched February 3, 2020].

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:	10190
Owner:	Basil, Wm.
Architect:	Self
Builder:	Churchill & Son
Legal Address:	DL: Block: Sub: Resub: Lot:
Date (Y-M-D):	1919-05-08
Street Number:	1214
Street Name:	Denman Street
Value:	$350.00
Remarks:	Repairs; addition [BCR]
Reference ID:	VN-1367-1368-17

 

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:	11349
Owner:	Drummond, R. H.
Architect:	Pion, E. J.
Builder:
Legal Address:	DL: 185 Block: Sub: Resub: Lot:
Date (Y-M-D):	1920-03-11
Street Number:	1214
Street Name:	Denman Street
Value:	$400.00
Remarks:	Repairs;
Reference ID:	VN-1531-1532-25

 

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:	A-1649
Owner:	Drummond
Architect:
Builder:	Davis, J.
Legal Address:	DL: 185 Block: Sub: Resub: Lot:
Date (Y-M-D):	1921-08-27
Street Number:	1214
Street Name:	Denman Street
Value:	$200.00
Remarks:	Office/Store; Repairs/Alterations;
Reference ID:	VN-19215265-39

 

Vancouver directory listings from 1902 to 1920.

 

1902 to 1903	Russell, William Henry Keltie
1904 to 1907	Bryson, Allan
1908	Pike, James Nicholson
1909	Pike, Anna (wife of James Nicholson Pike)
1910 to 1912	Martin, Andrew Christian
1913 to 1915	Johnston, Joshua
1916 to 1917	Vacant
1917 to 1920	Thompson, James Francis
1920	Vacant

 

Until about 1920, the house offered rental accommodations.

 

Vancouver Daily World, March 17, 1908, page 4, column 8.

 

Vancouver Daily World, July 6, 1909, page 20, column 6.

 

Vancouver Province, April 17, 1911, page 22, column 1.

 

Vancouver Daily World, February 16, 1912, page 6, column 7.

 

Vancouver Sun, April 12, 1912, page 11, column 3.

 

For most of the early 1920s, the house was vacant, although the 1921 Vancouver directory listed Esplanade Pavilion Limited at this address.

From 1925 to 1929, the English Bay Fish and Chips café was at 1214 Denman Street. Walter Peake and Arthur H. Charles were the proprietors. (They both lived nearby: in 1926, Walter Peake was at 1170 Bidwell Street and Arthur Charles was at 1818 Barclay Street.)

 

Vancouver Province, June 24, 1925, page 17, column 2.

 

 

Vancouver Province, May 5, 1928, page 12, column 7.

 

 

1214 Denman Street; August 3, 1930; detail from English Bay scene; Vancouver City Archives, CVA 99-2121; https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/english-bay-scene-4.

 

According to the Vancouver directories, the café was vacant for much of the early 1930s, but it seems to have done better during the later 1930s.

 

1930 to 1932	Vacant
1933	English Bay Fish and Chips
1934	Vacant
1935 to 1939	English Bay Fish and Chips

 

In 1940, the café changed its name to “English Bay Lunch.” In 1943 and 1944, the café was vacant. It was back in business in 1945.

The business was for sale in 1945, although it remained in operation until the end of 1945.

 

Vancouver Province, March 28, 1945, page 22, column 5.

 

 

Vancouver Province, June 14, 1945, page 16, column 1.

 

Vancouver Sun, December 15, 1945, page 15, column 4.

 

In 1946 to 1947, the property was vacant, and house wreckers demolished the building.

 

Vancouver Province, October 25, 1946, page 22, column 2.

 

From the late 1940s until the mid-1950s, the east side of the 1200 block of Denman Street was vacant, and it operated as a parking lot.

 

Southeast corner of Denman Street and Davie Street; detail from BO-54-211 : First Beach; http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-54-211/.

 

 

Berkeley Tower

In 1958, a developer built the Berkeley Tower apartment building on the site. (The address is 1770 Davie Street.)

 

Berkeley Tower Apartments under construction, detail from Residences in the 1700 block of Davie Street, July 1958; Vancouver City Archives, Bu P508.3; https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/residences-in-1700-block-of-davie-street.

 

Further information appears on the page for 1224 Denman Street: https://westendvancouver.wordpress.com/streets-a-to-h/denman-street/1000-to-1200-block-denman-street/1224-denman-street/