Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Margaret  on Virginia

The green single level house at 4119 Virginia Crescent in the District of North Vancouver was built in 1951 for $12,000 by Vailand Construction.  By 1955 it had been bought by E. Don and Eileen M. Jones.  E. Don Jones was an accountant at Allianceware. 

In 1960 Rodrick F. and Kathleen M. Hood were the owners.  Rodrick worked as a sales representative for Line and Cable Accessories.  The owners in 1971 were Hans A. and Ulla Alwart.  Hans Alwart was employed as a salesman at Woody Gundy Securities.

By 1980 the owners of the house at 4119 Virginia Crescent were William and Margaret Martin.  William was the sales manager at College Printers.  Margaret Martin reported that she was the owner and retired in 1991 and 1995.  The listing in the 2008/2010 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory is under William Martin at 4119 Virginia Crescent. 

So the Martin family lived at 4119 Virginia Crescent for at least 30 years.  And during that time they  watched their two backyard cedar trees grow to an impressive and majestic 60 feet.

Virginia Crescent is at the top of Sunset Boulevard, north of Edgemont Village, with MacKay Creek Park  immediately to the east.

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

Monday, August 16, 2010
1949  Post and Beam

The 1949 post and beam construction house at 3636 Glenview Crescent is 983 sq. ft. with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It sits on a 11,200 square foot lot in the Capilano Highlands area of the District of North Vancouver. The lot backs up to Mosquito Creek Park.

The house was recently listed for sale for $848,000 by Sutton Rassmusen Group Realtors. It sold and a new 4,575 sq. ft. four bedroom house by Kombi Homes is proposed to be built on the lot after the present house is demolished. (See Link.)

The 1955 owners of 3636 Glenview Crescent were Michael and E. Caroline Smith. Michael M. Smith was an architect at Polson and Siddall. In 1960 the owners were Francis J. S. and Edith L. Sanderson. Francis Sanderson was a manager at the Canadian Division of United Petroleum Gas. The 1980 owners were Dirk and Diana Piket. Dirk Piket worked as a carpenter.

In the 1991 and 1996/1996 City Directories, R. A. Reid was reported as the owner. However in these publications the street is listed as Glenview Drive; no Glenview Crescent is noted. In the year 2008/2010 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory R. A. Reid is listed as living at 3636 Glenview Crescent. In both 1991 and 1995 R. A. Reid's occupation is recorded as a real estate salesman for Bell Realty. He reported in the 1995 edition that he had lived at 3636 Glenview Crescent for over 9 years. So as of now, he has probably lived there for about 25 years.

Demolition Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photo: Taken in July 2010 by SW.
Link 1: http://www.rasmussenbros.com/Blog.php/528

Sunday Church Feature
Stanford Memorial Church
Stanford, California

"Stanford Memorial Church (also known as MemChu) is located at the center of the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, United States. It was built during the American Renaissance[1] by Jane Stanford as a memorial to her husband Leland. Designed by architect Charles A. Coolidge, a protegé of Henry Hobson Richardson, the church has been called "the University's architectural crown jewel".[2]


"Designs for the church were submitted to Jane Stanford and the university trustees in 1898, and it was dedicated in 1903. The building is Romanesque in form and Byzantine in its details, inspired by churches in the region of Venice and, especially, Ravenna. Its stained glass windows and extensive mosaics are based on religious paintings the Stanfords admired in Europe. The church has four pipe organs, which allow musicians to produce many styles of organ music. Stanford Memorial Church has withstood two major earthquakes, in 1906 and 1989, and was extensively renovated after each.


"Stanford Memorial Church was the earliest and has been "among the most prominent" non-denominational churches on the West Coast of the United States.[3] Since its dedication in 1903, the church's goal has been to serve the spiritual needs of the university in a non-sectarian way.[2] The church's first chaplain, David Charles Gardner, began a tradition of leadership which has guided the development of Stanford University's spiritual, ethical, and academic relation to religion. The church's chaplains were instrumental in the founding of Stanford's religious studies department, moving Stanford from a "completely secular university"[4] at the middle of the century to "the renaissance of faith and learning at Stanford"[5] in the late 1960s, when the study of religion at the university focused on social and ethical issues like race and the Vietnam War.


"Stanford Memorial Church has suffered two major earthquakes, in 1906 and in 1989. Although extensively damaged, the church was restored after each. The 1906 quake wrecked much of the church, felled the spire, cracked the walls, and "injured beyond repair" the mosaics and Carrara marble statuary in the chancel.

"The mosaic project (See photo directly above.) began in 1900 and took five years to complete.[7] Jane Stanford chose mosaics to decorate her church because of the similar weather in Italy and Northern California, where the moderate climates and rainy seasons in both settings protect the images from erosion and clear the pollution that accumulates on many buildings in large cities. As Hall states, the "mosaics on the facade are always clear and brilliant."[81] Their "shimmering quality" was created by different tones of green and gold;[71] the artists that installed the mosaics had over 20,000 shades of colors to choose from.[82] The images cost US$97,000,[8][note 8] and were based upon original watercolors created by artist Antonio Paoletti.[note 9] Jane Stanford worked closely with Paoletti, planning a combination of Old Testament and New Testament scenes that represented men and women equally." (See Link.)


Photos: Taken in Stanford, California in 2009 by SW. (In the top photo the tree on the right with the lavender flowers is a Jacaranda.)
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Memorial_Church

Saturday Travel Feature
SFAI, San Francisco, California

"San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus is in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. SFAI was founded in 1871, and is one of the oldest art schools in the United States.

"SFAI offers Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees and Post-Baccalaureate certificates.

"The San Francisco Art Association (SFAA) was founded in 1871 and it opened the San Francisco School of Design in February 1874 under the direction of landscape painter Virgil Macey Williams. In 1893 the name was changed to California School of Design and the association affiliated with the University of California and inherited the mansion of Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill. Its museum functions continued under the title of the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art.

"The fire following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed both the mansion and the school. A year later, the school was rebuilt on the site of the old mansion and renamed the San Francisco Institute of Art. In 1916 the SFAA merged with the San Francisco Society of Artists and assumed directorship of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, then located in the Palace of Fine Arts, a relic of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The school was also renamed the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA). In 1926 the school moved to its present location at 800 Chestnut Street in San Francisco. In 1961 the school took its modern name, the San Francisco Art Institute.


"In 1969, a new addition to the building by Paffard Keatinge-Clay added 22,500 sq ft (2,090 m2) studio space, a large theater/lecture hall, outdoor amphitheater, galleries, and cafe.[1]" (See Link 1.)

"The Making of a Fresco" was painted in 1931 on the wall of the main floor gallery off the central plaza of the San Francisco Art Institute. It is one of four murals painted in San Francisco by the the Mexican artist. (See Link 2.) Other features of the SFAI building at the top of the Chestnut Street (800 Chestnut Street) hill are: the central plaza fountain, the ornate front entrance archway, and the rooftop area large enough to hold graduation ceremonies and giving a breathtaking view of San Francisco.

Photos: Top photo, SFAI tower, taken from cover of 1997 Commencement Day Program. Bottom photo, Diego Rivera murals inside SFAI, taken from cover of 19997 Commencement Day Program.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Art_Institute
Link 2: http://www.sfai.edu/page.aspx?page=34

Note: Amy Wilson, daughter of Suzanne Wilson, was granted a SFAI Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1997 and a SFAI Master of Fine Arts degree in 1999. She is a painter and teaches art at Diablo Valley College. (See Blog Post July 3, 2010 "Developing Environments, SF".)

Friday, August 13, 2010
Turquoise Trim

This split level stucco and cedar sided house at 3476 Wellington Crescent was built in 1954 for $8,700 by R. Turcotte. Ray E. and Susan Turcotte also owned the house in 1955. Ray Turcotte worked as a salesman at Woodward's Department Store.

In 1960 Robert L. and Theresa M. Firus were the owners. Robert Firus was a chartered accountant for Price and Waterhouse. In 1971 and 1980 Howard E. and Marion A. Reeve were the owners. In 1971 Marion Reeve was an electric designer at W. T. Haggert and Co. Howard Reeve was a vice principal for the Vancouver School Board. In 1980 Howard Reeve is listed as a teacher for the Vancouver School Board. Around 1987 Roger Oatman bought the house and continued to be the owner at least until 1995. In 1995 Michel Nurse also lived in the house. During this time Roger Oatman worked as a stock broker. Michel Nurse worked as a travel agent.

Wellington Crescent is in the Capilano Highlands area of the District of North Vancouver. This Crescent branches off Emerald Dr. just north of the intersection of Edgemont Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue in Edgemont Village. The house at 3476 is around the curve from St. Catherines Anglican Church. (See Link.)

Demolition Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photo: Taken in August 2010 by SW. The house was vacant and behind a blue construction fence.
Link: http://saint-catherines.org/HTML/News.html

Thursday, August 12, 2010
Cathedral Entrance

It is easy to see why the house at 311 East 28th Street in the City of North Vancouver is referred to as having a cathedral entrance. The eaves framing the front door are reminiscent of a church entrance. Inside this entrance would be two sets of stairs: one to the lower level of perhaps a family room, extra bedroom, and laundry room and one to the upper level of a living room, dining room, kitchen, and three bedrooms. Some homes in North Vancouver have only the inside step design of the cathedral entrance, but this home at 311 East 28th Street has both the exterior and interior features.

There is no listing in the Building Permit book as to the date this home was built. And there is no listing in the City Directories in the 1960 or 1965 issues. In those publication the 300 block of East 28th Street is not even recorded. Then in 1971 Michael W. and Judith A. O'Cain are noted as living in the house. Judith O'Cain was working as a secretary at Davis and Co. Michael O'Cain was employed as a computer specialist at B.C. Hydro.

In 1980 and 1991 Milos and Angela Krouzelka were the owners. Their occupation was noted as "Milos and Angela" designer for H. A Simons. The residents for 4 years in the 1995/1996 City Directory were Val and Wilma Stein. Val Stein was a bus driver at B.C. Transit.

The 300 block of East 28th Street is east of Lonsdale Avenue and a couple of streets above the Upper Levels Highway in the City of North Vancouver.

Building Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photo: Taken in July 2010 by SW.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Thorp Family on Hoskins Rd. for 100 Years

It seems that the Thorpe family always lived on Hoskins Road. Dorothy (Probert) Thorpe  was born in 1907 at Dovecourt and Hoskins Road.  Dorothy's father, Samuel,  also had the first general store in Lynn Valley at this location.  The 1911 and 1912 City Directories both list Samuel Probert grocery "ns" Dovercourt Rd near LV Road.  Below is the circa 1913 photograph from the District Engineering Album at the North Vancouver Archives.  The building on the left is Samuel Probert's grocery. 

Samuel Probert Grocery circa 1913

In 1910 Dorothy Probert's brothers Reginald and Harry Probert built a new

house on the lot at 3790 Hoskins Road and this is where Dorothy spent her childhood. (See photo below.) In 1926 Dorothy Probert is listed as working in sales.  By this time her mother, Mary Probert, was  Samuel J. Probert's widow.  "In 1929 she (Dorothy)  was married and received the home from her mother where she lived and raised her family."  Her son Harold was born in this house in 1931.  In 1953 he bought the property at 3741 Hoskins Road and built a house on it, therefore maintaining the tradition of the family living on Hoskins Road.

Dorothy Probert is the girl at the bottom of this 1909 photo

The first entry in the City Directories for the Thorpe's at the 3790 Hoskins Road address is in 1931, under H. Thorpe.  In 1955 Harold E. and Dorothy Thorpe are listed as living in  the house. Harold Thorpe worked as a trucker at American Can. In 1960 the owner is listed as Mrs. Dorothy G. Thorpe, widow of W. E. Thorpe. Mrs. Dorothy G. Thorpe continued to be listed as the owner in the 1980, 1991, and 1995 City Directories. 

That means Dorothy Thorpe lived on Hoskins Road for at least 88 years and at the home at 3790 Hoskins Road for at least 85 of those years.  This is the record in this Blog for number of years the same person has lived in a house.  The 3790 Hoskins Road house  is the oldest house recorded in this Blog, 1910-2010, 100 years. The next oldest house is this Blog was at the 322 West 21st Street house at 87 years and with more than one family being owners.

The 1955 City Directory lists Harold and Mary Thorpe at the 3741 Hoskins Rd. address.  Harold was employed as an electrician at Burrard Dry Dock.  Harold lived in that house until his death in 2007. 

The only other residents of 3790 Hoskins Rd. listed in the City Directories are   Arthur and Andrea G. Pifer in 1971. Arthur Pifer was working as a lithography at Agency Press.

Side view of 3790 Hoskins Rd.

Note the white bulb hydrangea tree in the front and

the pink roses in the back of the house.

 Dovercourt Road intersects with Hoskins Road and Lynn Valley Road just north of Peters Road in the Lynn Creek area of Lynn Valley.

Thank You: To Mike Thorpe, grandson of Dorothy Thorpe and son of Harold Thorpe for most of the information in this post.  Quotes are from his e mail.
Demoliton Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photos: Colored digital photos taken in August of 2010 by SW.
                                                       North Vancouver Archives
                 Black and White grocery store photo from District Engineering Album.
                 Black and White Probert family photo 1909 with Dorothy in front.