Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Top of the World

Skyline Drive is above Montroyal Blvd.in the District of North Vancouver.  It wanders snake like on the edge of the mountain and seems to be at "the top of the world" with views of Stanley Park, the Lion's Gate Bridge, the ocean, and the mountains of Vancouver Island. Here with that magnificent view sits a large white stucco house in the process of demolition.

4819 Skyline Drive was issued a building permit on April 16, 1963 making this the month of its 47th birthday. The single level wood frame home cost $17,000 to build and the owners moved into it on September 9th of that year. Two years later, in 1965, Marie L. and Wolf Dannenberg were the residents admiring the spectacular view from the home's south facing windows. In 1971 Shirley E. and William G. Maddess were the owners of the house. William worked as a fireman for Vancouver City. They continued to live there in 1980, with William still working as a fireman. However, there was no response to inquiries from the City Directory for either the 1991 or 1995/96 editions.  Soon the view from this prime spot on Skyline Drive will belong to the owners of the new home to be built there.

Thank you: To Elaine Oakes at the District Hall for her research on the building permit to 4819 Skyline Drive.
Demolition: Permit applied for in March 2010.
Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Two For One

The Blog Post for 225 East 18th Street published on March 30th, 2010 tells the story of what is possibly being planned for this area. It looks like four of the five lots in this block near St. Georges Ave. have been gathered up for a large multifamily housing complex. The multifamily complex all ready built on the corner indicates the start of this change.

But the side by side stucco duplex at 219 and 221 East 18th Street has two stories to tell, one for each address. There is no listing for the brown duplex in the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives. And there is no listing for either address in the 1950 or 1953 City Directories. But there are listings in 1955.

Thom is the name at 219 in 1955 but not in 1960. By then Nora M. and Cecil R. Hall lived at 219. Cecil worked at the Lux Theater at 55 East Hastings Street. By 1971 Christine and Bartello Desisto were the residents. Bartello was employed as a plumbing contractor by by P. Ciambelli at 235 East 18th Street. In 1980 the 219 side of the duplex was reported as being vacant. In 1991 Grant Richards was the resident upstairs at 219 and Dorothy Ryan had just moved in as the basement resident. In the 1995/96 City Directory Grant was reported as living at that address for five year and there is no mention of Dorothy Ryan.

As for the 221 East 18th Street address, in 1955 that resident was Mrs. Roberta Hammond. Roberta was a widow and taught in the North Vancouver School District 44. In 1960 Ann S. and Cornelius M. Neiwerth lived at 221. Cornelius worked as the proprietor of Skyline Sports Center. There were two, one at 1637 Lonsdale Avenue and a second at 3066 Edgemont Avenue. In 1971 the 221 side of the duplex was reported as being vacant. But by 1980 Harry Chan was living there. In 1991 the resident was L. Emmbach who was an employee of CIL Paint. He must have moved in by 1988 since in the 1995/96 City Directory he was reported as having lived there for 7 years. Sharole S. Emmbach also lived there and worked as a clerk at The Bay. Another resident reported as living at 221, but only for four years, was N. Sylvester, an auto body repair man.

Demolition: Permit applied for February 2010.

Photo: Taken February 2010 by SW.

Monday, April 19, 2010
Genoa North Vancouver, Not Italy

The green house at 482 Genoa Crescent was built at the base of the North Shore mountains in 1958. It could have been started on a day like the one in the photograph when most of the mountain disappeared in the low cloud. D. Allan was the owner who built the $14,000 home on this short street that stems off of Vienna Crescent near the top of Delbrook Avenue.


In 1960 Charles A. and Frank M. McKenna were living in the house at 482 Genoa Crescent. Frank was employed as an assistant manager at Dennison Manufacturing. At least Frank continued to live in the house and to have the same job until 1980. In 1991 Jill and Chris A. Davies bought the house. Chris worked as a real estate agent at a company at 2360 Queens Road. By 1996 they had been living in the house for six years. During four of these years Glenn Berning was also a resident.


As the year 2010 is a time of demolition permits on the 400 block of Genoa Crescent, 1958 was a time of construction. This was also the year that the home at 468 Genoa Crescent was built. (See Blog Post March 26, 2010.)

 Note: As to the title of this post.  Yesterday morning we were in Rome Italy, although our original plan was to be home in North Vancouver by that time. Yes, we were trapped with thousands of others in Europe by the cancellation of our April 16th flight via Amsterdam back to B.C., trapped by the giant cloud from the eruption of the volcano in Iceland. Our trap was a two night 250 euro hotel room with all meals paid for by KLM. But it did delay my writing of this post. (Thank you to KLM for their generosity and diligence and for Alitalia  and Air Canada for getting us home.)

Demolition: Permit applied for in March 2010.
Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

Sunday Church Feature Wildrose United Methodist Church Wildrose United Methodist Church is over 100 years old. The church sits at 6312 West Wildrose Road. This is the corner of West Wildrose Road and Monroe Road south of the town of Deer Park, Washington. "Deer Park was settled in 1889 when a railroad siding was built for the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway." Wikipedia, see Link. Later logging became a big industry in the area. The lumber was sent south to help build the town of Spokane River which became the present city of Spokane.   As can be seen in the photo above the tiny Wildrose United Methodist Church is not near even the small town of Deer Park. It sits on the Wild Rose Prairie where farms are scattered through the tall grass. The other thing that is scattered through the tall grass is deer. At twilight as many as 50 deer might be seen grazing in the fields. Hitting a deer crossing the road is a common occurrence.  Wildrose United Methodist Church holds services every Sunday morning at 9:30. The minister in 2009 was Lee Brooks. However, the lay pastor from 1992 to 1998 was Bob Zinke and he revealed the following information. The church was formed in the late 1800's by John Yingst. At first they gathered in individual homes. But in 1892 they built a church. As the story goes, the carpenter/contractor was an alcoholic and hid his empty whiskey bottles in the steeple. When the congregation found out they were fearful. And rightly so since in 1912 lightening hit the steeple and the church was burned to the ground. The present church was built, but as you can see from the photo above no steeple was added. Inside the church is a sanctuary, two small Sunday School rooms and a bathroom. The sanctuary with its tall trinity window can hold a congregation of 60 to 70 people, but during Bob Zinke's ministry seven elderly worshipers was more likely. The bathroom is a converted back porch and did not have running water until 1994.  Above the church there is not a steeple, but a tall wooden cross.  Another cross, this time neon, is mounted above the front entrance and lets people in the area know that Christians meet to worship on the Wild Rose Prairie. Thank you: To Bob Zinke for the interesting information about the church. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Park,_Washington Photo: Taken in 2010 by SW.

Saturday Travel Feature
Spokane Milk Bottle

"The Benewah Milk Bottle is a landmark in Spokane, Washington. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the milk bottle was one of two constructed in the area to accompany a successful dairy operation's stores.

"The bottle was completed in 1935 and is a classic example of literalism in advertising. The bottle is stuccoed from its base to where it begins to taper to the bottle's neck. The neck and cap are sheet metal over a wooden frame. The entire bottle had an original white paint. It was Paul E. Newport who built the milk bottles. Newport owned the thriving Benewah Dairy Company. Company ads stated the bottles were "designed to build better men and women by making dairy products attractive to boys and girls. No expense will be spared to make these new stores as sturdy as fine, and as good as the products they represent." Wikipedia.

This first store was just as described, only a milk bottle shaped building. The sign put up on the stack of this building depicted a Native Indian in full feather headdress advertising Benewah Creamery, Fresh Milk and Cream. Later a rectangular store was added to the milk bottle. The first sign on the stack of this building was simply Benewah Dairy Store. Posters in the windows listed Butter 69 cents a pound and Cottage Cheese 19 cents a pound. Inside the store a sign read Lady Borden peach ice cream 20 cents. The next sign that appeared on the stack and the one that is present today is a neon oval that simply says The Milk Bottle. Above the oval is advertised the types of food that is served, such as burghers.

The color scheme inside the store has always been black and white. Photos that line the walls show the original long counter on one side and upholstered booths on the other side. The original floor was medium sized square black and white tiles. Today the sides of the long counter are covered in white tile and the upholstered booths have been replaced with small tables and chairs. The floor is covered in small white tiles grouted in black.

The Milk Bottle is located at 802 Garland Street in the heart of the Garland District of Spokane. Other neighboring buildings of the same era are the Ferguson's Fountain Cafe, the Brown Derby with it brown derby shaped sign, and the Masonic Temple on the corner. The Garland Theater, art deco in design and built in 1945, is just a block away. All these are worth a look when visiting The Milk Bottle that is only open 11 am to 4 pm and is always crowded. This is not only because it is a piece of history, but the food is fresh and reasonably priced: $7.83 for a milk shake, cheeseburgher, and fries or a salad.

A second 'Benewah Milk Bottle" is South 321 Cedar Street in Spokane, but is not thought to be presently in use.

Photo: Taken March 2010 by SW.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benewah_Milk_Bottle

Friday, April 16, 2010
School Next Door

The white split level house at 2808 Bushnell Place sits right next to Ecole Ross Road Elementary School. This short street leading to a cul de sac is south of Ross Road in the District of North Vancouver. The school was built in 1962 and the house at 2808 received a building permit on December 16th of 1964.  The construction cost of this 1390 sq. ft. house and carport was estimated at $17,000.  Occupancy of the one level wood frame home in the Westlynn area that backs onto the Hasting Creek greenbelt was granted April 30, 1965.  In July 1976 a building permit was issued for an addition to this house.

2808 Bushnell Place is listed in the 1971 City Directory. At that time J. W. Barnham owned the house. In 1980 Clifford and Joyce Smith were the owners. Clifford worked at Champlain Gulf. In approximately 1988 Margaret McDonough became the owner. She was the owner, retired and lived there until at least 1995. T.C. McDonough is also listed as a resident the year after Margaret moved in. He is listed in the 2008/10 telephone book as still living there. The only other McDonough noted as living at 2808 Bushnell Place is L. McDonough in the year 2000 telephone book.

Ecole Ross Road Elementary School features a French Immersion Program.  French Immersion Programs have been offered in specific North Vancouver Schools since the  1980's.


Thank you: To Elaine Oakes at the District Hall for the building permit information regarding 2808 Bushnell Place.
Demolition: Permit applied for March 2010.
Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

 

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Chesterton

The apartment building at 210 West 13th Street started life about 50 years ago as The Chesterfield Apartments. The age of the apartment was defined by the North Shore News article dated October 24, 2008 regarding plans for its demolition. There is no information in the Building Permit book to confirm this, but the 1960 City Directory seems to have the first  listing for The Chesterfield Apartments. There are 21 apartments in two three story walk up wings of this apartment building. Some balconies are on the apartments on the east side of the building and their appears to be a roof top garden area off the apartment on the west side of the top floor. The building sits on the north west corner of West 13th Street and Chesterfield Avenue, hence its name The Chesterfield Apartments.

Although the apartment building listing isn't in the City Directory until 1960 there are listings starting by 1925 for a house at 210 West 13th Street. At this time W. C. Duncan, a clerk at Civil Defense of Canada, was the owner. In 1931 the house is reported as vacant. In 1940 John B. and Amelia Jolem were the residents. In 1950 C. E. and Alice M. Weatherhill were living there. Alice worked as a clerk at McLennan, McFeely and Prior Ltd., selling hardware at 122 Cordova Street, Vancouver. The Weatherhill's still lived at The Chesterfield Apartments in 1955. However, starting in 1958 there is no longer any listing for a house at 210 West 13th Street in the City Directories. Then in 1960 when The Chesterfield Apartment building with units 1-3, 101-108, 202-207, 302-305 and their residents appear.

In the 1995/96 City Directory the name of the building is no longer The Chesterfield Apartments. By this time it had been changed to simply The Chesterton. The October 24, 2008 North Shore News article (See Link.) states that The Chesterton was sold in June of that year for $4.25 million to the developer, The Hulbert Group. An ultramodern, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, mixed market and non-market housing complex will be built with many former residents getting first dibs on the five-to-eight affordable housing suites to be located on the basement level of the development. The demolition permit was not applied for until March 2010.

The corner of West 13th Street and Chesterfield Avenue has recently undergone dramatic changes. The houses and small apartment building on the north east side of the street have been demolished and replaced by an ultramodern apartment tower. The older three storey apartment building on the south east corner has been demolished and replace by a modern apartment building as well. After The Chesterton Apartment building is demolished and replace by the planned ultramodern design only the south west corner will pin the street to its older roots. However, even St. John's Anglican Church that occupies that block had to be rebuilt when the 1908 church was destroyed by fire in 1985 and a new church was completed in 1987.

Demolition: Permit applied for March 2010.

Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b6f1baef-123e-4d9d-a8ee-9c038a1b871f