746 Gilford Street

746 Gilford in 1894 Alberni Street – 744 Gilford Street – 746 Gilford Street – 748 Gilford Street – detail from West End and Stanley Park views – Vancouver Public Library – VPL Accession Number 5447; https://www3.vpl.ca/spePhotos/LeonardFrankCollection/02DisplayJPGs/1054/5447.jpg.

 

746 Gilford street; 1800 block of Alberni Street (south side) and 700 block of Gilford Street (east side); about 1960; Vancouver: From Milltown to Metropolis, by Alan Morley; Vancouver, Mitchell Press, 1961, facing page 210; original photograph by George Allen Aerial Photos.

 

746 Gilford Street was a small house on the east side of Gilford Street, between Alberni Street and the lane that runs between Alberni Street and Robson Street.

 

746 Gilford Street – 1968 – detail from City of Vancouver Archives – CVA 1348-24 – 748 Gilford; http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/748-gilford;rad.

 

Unfortunately, a tree obscures much of 746 Gilford Street in the photograph above. However, 746 Gilford Street was similar to the house next door, which was 748 Gilford Street.

Legal Description: District Lot 185, Block 65, Lot 23 (in the south half of lot 23).

 

1800 Block Alberni Street – Detail from Goad’s Atlas of the city of Vancouver – 1912 – Vol 1 – Plate 7 – Coal Harbour to Barclay Street and Cardero Street to Stanley Park.

 

 

1894 Alberni Street, 744 Gilford Street, 746 Gilford Street, 748 Gilford Street, detail from Goad’s Atlas of Vancouver, Volume 1, Plate 48 [Denman Street to Georgia Street to Chilco Street to Haro Street]; https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/plate-48-denman-street-to-georgia-street-to-chilco-street-to-haro-street.

 

There are two reference to lot 23 in Heritage Vancouver Society’s database of historic building permits: http://permits.heritagevancouver.org/index.php?cID=1 [searched May 15, 2019], although it is not clear which permit belongs with each house in lot 23.

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:
Owner:	Johnston, S. G.
Architect:	Johnston, S. G.
Builder:	Strathie, D.
Legal Address:	DL: 185 Block: 65 Sub: Resub: Lot: 23
Date (Y-M-D):	1904-02-02
Street Number:
Street Name:	Gilford Street & Alberni Street
Value:	$900.00
Remarks:	Frame dwelling
Reference ID:	VN-8230-8231-16

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:
Owner:	Strathe, D.
Architect:	Strathe, D.
Builder:	Strathe, D.
Legal Address:	DL: 185 Block: 65 Sub: Resub: Lot: 23
Date (Y-M-D):	1904-03-15
Street Number:
Street Name:	Gilford Street & Alberni Street
Value:	$850.00
Remarks:	Frame dwelling
Reference ID:	VN-8306-8307-17

 

There is also a reference to a 1921 permit for repairs or alterations.

 

District:	Vancouver
Permit:	A-401
Owner:	Stacey, W.
Architect:
Builder:	Smith, S.
Legal Address:	DL: Block: Sub: Resub: Lot:
Date (Y-M-D):	1921-03-09
Street Number:	746
Street Name:	Gilford Street
Value:	$350.00
Remarks:	Dwelling/House; Repairs/Alterations;
Reference ID:	VN-19215238-24

 

Vancouver directory listings from 1906 to 1920:

 

1906	Buck, Madame Henriette
1906	Robertson, Tate MacEwen
1907	Howells, Hugh Cadvan
1908	Heathcote, Roland Loftus
1910 to 1913	Heathcote, Frederick William
1914 to 1915	Parks, Frederick James
1916	Turner, William Harold
1917 to 1919	Trail, Herbert Horatio
1920	Stacey, Wilson

 

The house was a rental building for much of its life.

In 1907, the contents of the house were for sale by auction.

 

Vancouver Daily World, May 16, 1907, page 5, column 5.

 

In 1927, the house was for rent.

 

Vancouver Province, November 28, 1927, page 19, column 5.

 

In 1961 and 1976, the house was for sale.

 

Vancouver Sun, May 20, 1961, page 37, column 4.

 

Vancouver Sun, May 5, 1976, page 63, column 2.

 

The house was still for rent in 1978.

 

Vancouver Sun, March 4, 1978, page 65, column 9.

 

In 1991, the lot became part of the site of the condominium at 1888 Alberni Street.

 

1888 Alberni Street, “Hats off to a true party spirit,” Vancouver Sun, August 9, 1991, page 41, columns 4-5.

 

1888 Alberni Street; Google Streets; searched March 18, 2019; image dated April 2009.

 

Sources

Vancouver City Archives; File – – Permits/licenses applications – demolition permits; COV-S62-4; 1988-1990 (Creation); https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/permits-licenses-applications-demolition-permits-6: File includes Manager’s reports and other records. Subjects include: “Moratoria on demolitions in North Vancouver and Victoria” (January and February 1990); “Toronto-Dominion Bank – 526 West Hastings Street (410 & 412-424 Seymour Street) – extension of demolition permit” (January 24, 1990); and “Demolition of the Huntington, 1915 Beach Ave.” (June 27, 1988). File also includes a memorandum of a demolition order for 1880 Alberni St., 1890 Alberni St., 1894-98 Alberni St., 740-744 Gilford St. and 746 Gilford St., and records pertaining to redevelopment around the Delmar Hotel (Dunsmuir, Homer, Pender and Hamilton Streets).

Michael Kluckner, Vanishing Vancouver; North Vancouver, British Columbia, Whitecap Books Ltd., pages 82-83; includes illustration. “There was originally a fourth house in the row, demolished about 1985, that occupied the vacant lot in the foreground.” [Note: the “fourth house” was probably 748 Gilford Street.]