Thursday, December 9, 2010


Thursday, December 9, 2010
St. George's Stately Home

This stately corner home at 2048 St. Georges Avenue in the City of North Vancouver was built for $6,500 in 1946 by the owner M. E. Leighton.  The architect was J. Blackadder. The Blackadder name was well known in North Vancouver for being part of the architectural team with MacKay that built many homes in the early 1900's as well as the Dundarave Block on Lonsdale Avenue.   Several of these can be seen on the pages of the City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory, 1994. (See Reference.) Many of these homes had the distinctive Tudor style front facade strapping, as did 2048 St. Georges Avenue.  Also note the leaded glass on both the first and second storey dormer windows.

James S. and Margaret E. Leighton continued to be the owners in 1950,  James Leighton worked as the manager of P. L. Christoper and Sons. 
By 1960 James McB and Muriel H. Ross were the owners of 2048 St. Georges Avenue.  James Ross was the manager of Ross Engineering.

By 1971 Arthur L. and Gwen H. Hardy were the owners of the Tudor style home.   They continued to own the home until at least their listing in the 1995/1996 City Directory.  In 1971 Arthur Hardy was the secretary/treasurer at Hardy's Lumber.  By 1980 Arthur and Gwen Hardy reported that they were retired.

The stately home at 2948 St. Georges Avenue was demolished soon after the year 2000. Two homes were built on the lot.  A larger one faces St. Georges Avenue and a smaller one  faces East 21st Street.


Reference: City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory, 1994 pages 61, 77, 110,
                       115, 132, 154.
Demolition: Soon after the year 2000.
Photo: Taken  for the  Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home
                      by SW and available at the North Vancouver Archives.