Thursday, July 8, 2010

Address Around For 87 Years

Research at the North Vancouver Archives shows that the house at 322 West 21st Street was built by at least 1913.  This information does not come from the Building Permit Book, since there is no listing there for the 322 address. (Listings in the City of North Vancouver Building Permit Book start with the year 1911.) And there is no listing in the 1911 City Directory.  The first listing in the City Directory seems to be in 1913 with Alex McPherson a laborer for the "City".  He is also listed as the owner in 1914 and 1915.  But by 1925 the only listing is Mrs. E. McPherson, a widow.  She continued to live there until 1950.

In 1960 the owners were William and Mary D. Burton.  William Burton was an engine fitter at Burrard Dry Dock. (See Link.)  In 1971 only Mrs. Mary Burton, retired, is listed as owning the house.  Then by 1980 David H. and Gloria Lewis owned the house.  The Lewis's continued to own the house at least through the year 2000 because they participated in the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home.  In 1980 David Lewis reported that he was an electrician.  In 1991 and 1995 he was working as an electrician at Canem Systems Ltd. In the 1995/1996 City Directory Clifton J. Lewis was also reported as living at 322 West 21st Street. At this time he was working as a sales clerk at Lewis Handson.

In the year 2000 David Lewis contributed the history of the house as he knew it to the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home. He also included some of his family history. (See below.)

The photo of 322 West 21st Street was taken by Suzanne Wilson as part of her

Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home. 2000 photos of homes in the City of North Vancouver were photographed. Approximately 800 of these were accompanied by some history from the present or previous home owner sometimes including personal photographs. This was true in the case of 322 West 21st Street.


In the month of June 2007 Suzanne Wilson celebrated the City of North Vancouver's 100 birthday by distributing to 1000 home owners copies of  photos taken for the Y2K Project. At this time it was discovered that the home photographed at 322 West 21st Street had been demolished and a grand new home had been built.


Photo: Taken in the year 2000 by SW.
Reference: The Year 2000 project was donated by Suzanne and Alan Wilson to the North Vancouver Archives and is available for viewing.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrard_Dry_Dock