Saturday Travel Feature

Adagio in San Francisco

The Adagio Hotel in San Francisco was built in 1929 as the El Cortez Hotel.

Advertisements for the El Cortez were listed in editions of the 1951 and 1961 publications of the newspaper The Medesto Bee. In fact it was exactly the same ad. (See Link 1.) Later it was opened as the Shannon Court. Then in 2003 after an $11,000 renovation it became the Adagio Hotel. 

The Adagio at 550 Geary Street is in the Union Square area of San Francisco.  That makes it close to the theater district, the Powell Street Cable Cars, Moscone Convention Center, Chinatown, North Beach and Nob Hill.  The hotel features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture on the outside.  The ornate sculptured cement facade extends to the second floor. Tall detailed archways surround the three windows and the dark wood entrance doors.  The same detailed archways are above the two windows on each side of the second floor that are below the traditional San Francisco bay windows on the third floor.  In the middle above each of these pairs of arched windows there is featured a shield. These Spanish Colonial Revival features make the hotel unique even in the city of San Francisco.  Inside the renovations have provide contemporary luxury.

This boutique hotel has 171 rooms and 16 floors.  The luxury suites on the top floor have rooftop terraces.  On the 16th floor are two event rooms. The larger room has windows on two sides, both will spectacular views of downtown San Francisco. On the interior wall is a six foot fireplace with carved legs holding up a wooden mantel with carved details.  A wrought iron grill sits in front of the fire pit.   For weddings the fire pit is filled with large pillar candles.  Above the mantel is a large framed mirror.

Amy Wilson, daughter of Suzanne Wilson, and Jody Hart were married in this beautiful room on March 25th, 2006.

Photo: Taken in 2006 by SW.
Link 1:  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W0ghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1H8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1265,258433&dq=history+of+san+francisco+el+cortez+hotel&hl=en
Link 2:  http://local.yahoo.com/info-21334244-hotel-adagio-san-francisco

Friday, March 5, 2010
The Mathieson's Lived Here

Yes, the Mathieson's lived in this house at 739 East 7th Street for more than 40 years. Lloyd and Doris had moved in by at least 1960 and were still listed at that address in the year 2000 phone book. In 1960 and 1971 Lloyd was employed as a plumber at Empire Plumbing and Heating. In 1980 both Lloyd and Doris are listed in the City Directory in reference to plumbing and Virgo Mechanics. And by 1991 Lloyd had retired.

Although there is no record of a building permit at the North Vancouver Archives, a similar home can be seen in the Friday, February 5, 2010 blog post, Lloyd on Lloyd. This similar stucco house with horizontal cedar clapboard on the lower part of the front exterior wall was built in 1949 for $6,500. Both houses have the large picture window to one side of the front door and the high triple windows to the other side. The two houses have other similarities. A Lloyd lived in both, Lloyd Mathieson at 739 East 7th Street and Robert Lloyd at 2015 Lloyd Street. So now we have three Lloyds. The other similarity is the longevity of time they lived in those homes. 2015 Lloyd Street had a Lloyd for over 30 years. 739 East 7th Street had one for over 40.


Permit for Demolition: Applied for February 2010.
Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Back As Far As 1911

The first listing in the Building Permit Book for a house at 309 East 11th Street was in 1911. This house in the City of North Vancouver was built by owners Davis and Sanders for $1000. Then in the 1940's there was a flurry of building activity by the owner W. E. Hamilton. In 1943 he received a building permit for $500 for a house. Also in that year he built a garage for $65. Then in that same year there is another permit for $2500 for a house. And in 1945 he built another house for $3000. This time for the house at 255 East 10th Street. But  W. Ernest and his wife Lea J. continued to live in the house at 309 East 11th Street until at least 1960. By then W. Earnest had retired, perhaps from where he worked at King Lumber as an oiler in 1951.

Only one other owner lived at 309 East 11th until Sandra Laidlaw moved in by 1980. That owner was C. D. Arnold, and he was living there in 1971. Sandra is listed in the City Directories of 1980, 1991, and 1995/96 as being a laboratory technician at Lion's Gate Hospital. Lions Gate Hospital is on East 13th Street, just a two block walk from Sandra's home. Her name is also listed at the East 11th Street address in the Year 2000 and 2008/2010 telephone books. That gives Sanda Laidlow a good 30 years of living in the white stucco house at 309 East 11th Street.

The house was demolished and a three bedroom 2759 sq. ft. house was built.

Demolition Permit: Applied for in January 2010.

Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW.

Later note: Link: http://www.noorthomes.com/index.cfm?method=residential.list&cityid=D6069024-2FD6-4149-B3AA-7F1EF03E56DD

Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Typical Double Decker

This two storey house at 4742 Marineview Crescent is a typical North Vancouver home.  The south face is lined with windows to take advantage of maximum light on the many grey rainy days, enjoy the rare sunny days, and revel in the view.  This is particularly important in North Vancouver where the houses are tight against the North Shore mountains and rainfall and grey clouds are more numerous than in other parts of the Vancouver area.  The front entrance is found behind the big shrub next to the supports for the sundeck.  It leads into the bottom floor of the house where there is usually a family room and some bedrooms.  The living room, dining room, kitchen and often one or two bedrooms will be found on the top floor.  This is typical of North Vancouver homes.

4742 was built in 1957 by Rolf Fagerlund for $13,000.  Sharon M. E. and Rolf J. lived there in 1960 when Rolf worked as a machinist for Ideal Iron Works.  In the 1971 City Directory Sharon and Ralph's last name is listed as "Fagerberg". Ralph  was still employed at Ideal Iron Works.  In 1980 only Sharon is listed in the City Directory and her  last name is properly spelled "Fagurland".  She was now employed as a nurse at B.C. Hydro.  The next residents were Paul and Wendy Gatti, in 1991.


4742 Marineview Crescent is in the Forest Hills area of the District of North Vancouver.  It is just south of Montroyal Blvd., and west of Ranger Avenue.

Demolition Permit:  Applied for in January 2010.

Photo: Taken in January 2010 by SW.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Trilevel on Montroyal

This trilevel house is typical of homes built in this area in 1955.  The room with the large divided window on the right is the living room with a dining room behind looking out over the backyard.  The top storey of the two storeys on the left would be the bedrooms with a kitchen in the rear.  A deck off the kitchen can be seen at the back of the house.  More bedrooms and possibly a family room are on the right hand side lower level. This particular trilevel was built at 854 Montroyal Boulevard in the North Vancouver District.  Ernest J. Greenway built the house for $12,000. 


Until the 1970's Ernest listed himself as E. Jack and in 1960 also reported his wife Thelma I. as living in the house.  E. Jack worked as  a manager at Marvel Project.  He continued to work for Marvel Products in 1971 and had moved to Van Der Hart Associates by 1980.  In 1991 he told the staff at the City Directory that he had retired.  In the year 2000 phone book only Thelma I. is listed.  The 2008/2010 phone book has no listing for either Thelma or Ernest or Jack.  But even with the information that is available, we know that the Greenway's lived in the house at 854 Montroyal Blvd. for at least 36 years, and that is a good run.

Montroyal Boulevard lies along the base of Grouse Mountain.  It starts in the east at the top of Lonsdale Avenue, the main drag of North Vancouver, and ends in the west at Capilano Road.


Demolition Permit:  Applied for January 2010.
Photo: Taken in January 2010 by SW.

Monday, March 1, 2010
The Three Wellingtons

There are three Wellingtons designated as street names in North Vancouver District.  Wellington Crescent is near the corner of Edgemont Boulevard and Highlands Boulevard.  Wellington Drive runs east and west just above Princess Park and all the way to Mountain Highway.  And the cul de sac that is Wellington Place runs north near  the west end of Wellington Drive.  The house in the photo above is on the south side of Wellington Drive; it is 735 Wellington Drive.

There is no entry in the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives as to when the simple house with the basement was built.  No listings are found in the 1931, 1940, or 1950 City Directories.  However, the front stone foundation, now covered in brown paint, seem to indicate it was built by this time.  Elaine Oakes of the District staff reports, "The District's GeoWeb lists the date built as 1920 but I cannot find any records to confirm this date."  It was connected to the DVN water service in 1957.  By 1960 Joan M. and Dean B. Arnold were living at 735 Wellington Drive.  Dean worked as a skipper for A. Escott Co.  Next to live there, by 1971, was Roy Mandryk, working as a die setter at Schlage Lock.  In 1980 along with Roy is listed Rory, a student.  And by 1991 Roy had retired.  Roy is still listed as living there in the 2008/2010 Telus telephone book.  That is at least forty years of living for the Mandryks in the  house 735 Wellington Drive, just north of Princess Park.

Thank You: To Elaine Oakes, RM Clerk, Admin Svcs. North Vancouver 
               District Hall.
Demolition Permit: Applied for November 2009.
Photo: Taken January 2010 by SW.

End of Month Index

February 2010

Arranged by Subject and Address Country, State/Province, City, Street: numerical East, alphabetical, numerical West.

CANADA

British Columbia

City of North Vancouver

530 East 12th Street, North Vancouver, St. Agnes AnglicanChurch, 2/14/10      

359 East 13th Street, Cotoneaster Gussy-Ups Grey Stucco, 2/1/2010          

939 Shavington Street, Friday Special Feature, Special Olympic Feature,
         Paint the Town Red, 2/26/2010

North Vancouver District

866 East 13th Street, On the Way to School,  2/8/2010

2832 Capilano Road, To the Bridge, To the Mountain, 2/15/2010
2840 Capilano Road, Capilano Road Oldie, 2/16/2010
4373 Cheviot Rd., $10,000 Buys the Cheviot Rd. Home, 2/9/2010
3150 Colewood Drive, The Day They Tore the School House Down, Highlands
          School 2/3/2010 
2284 Dollarton Road, The Dollar Mill, 2/24/2010 
2290 Dollarton Road, In the Pink, 2/25/2010
1675 Edgewater Lane, At the Water's Edge,  2/4/2010
4020 Glenview Crescent, A Mountain and a River, 2/11/2010 
564 Granada Court, The Facer House, 2/23/10
2015 Lloyd Ave., Lloyd on Lloyd,  2/5/2010 
3615 McGinnis Avenue, How many ways are there to spell Maginnis? 2/10/20 
3764 Mountain Highway, An Awning for You and An Awning for Me, 2/17/10
3780 Mountain Highway, Two White Pillars and a Big Addition, 2/18/10
1340 Sunnyside Drive, The Sunnyside, February 22, 2010

3907 Trenton Place, The Tall Cedars of Trenton, 2/2/2010

Vancouver

674 Granville Streetm The Hudson Bay, Special 2010 Olympic Feature, Let
        the Olympics Begin, 2/13/2010

100 South Renfrew St., Pacific Coliseum, special 2010 Olympic Feature, 
        Pacific Coliseum Banner, 2/19/10.

B. C.

Bowen Island, Saturday Travel Feature, Take the Ferry to Bowen, 2/27/10

Britannia Beach B.C., Canada 2/6/2010

Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., 2/13/2010

UNITED STATES
Alaska

Savoonga, Alaska, Savoonga  Presbyterian Church, 2/7/2010

Wisconsin

2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trinity Methodist
          Church, 2/21/10

2590 South Superior Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Special Saturday Travel

          Feature, Brinton in Milwaukee, 2/20/10

FEATURES
Saturday Travel Features

Bowen Island, Take the Ferry to Bowen, 2/27/10 

Britannia Beach B.C., Canada 2/6/2010

Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., 2/13/2010 

2590 South Superior Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brinton in Milwaukee,
           2/20/10

 Sunday Church Features

530 East 12th Street, North Vancouver, St. Agnes Anglican

            Church, 2/14/2010

2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trinity Methodist
            Church, 2/21/10
 Savoonga, Alaska, Savoonga  Presbyterian Church, 2/7/2010

Special Olympic Feature

674 Granville Street, The Hudson Bay, Let the Olympics Begin, 2/12/2010

100 South Renfrew St., Pacific Coliseum, Pacific Coliseum Banner, 2/19/10 

939 Shavington Street, Paint the Town Red, 2/26/10

Photo:  Taken from North Vancouver of  the 2010 Winter Olympic Rings floating in Burrard Inlet. The tall office towers and apartment buildings  of downtown Vancouver are in the background, February 14, 2010 by SW. 

Note: The Rings are usually lit in the five colors of the Olympics: blue, green, red, yellow, and white.  However, on days that Canada wins a gold medal the rings are all lit in red.  This must have been such a day. (Information from a TV commentator.)