1787 SE Marine Dr

Formerly 1509 River Ave E, 1787 SE Marine Drive is a Gabled Vernacular-style home. It features a wide front porch, with simple columns on the façade. The home is set above the ground and also features a centred window on the upper level, a common feature among these styles of homes.

Marine Drive, formerly River Road, was the resulting path that was formed by Hugh McRoberts, who cleared a trail from the north side of the Fraser River up until the present-day area of the Musqueam Reserve. Throughout the years River Road underwent several name changes. In 1910, it was changed to River Avenue West (between Ontario and Main Street) and River Avenue E (between Main Street and Boundary Road). It was not until 1915 that River Avenue renamed Marine Drive.

George M. Lewis, a 45-year-old machinist at Vancouver Engineering Works, was shown to have received a permit in 1924 for the addition of a private garage on the 1787 SE Marine Dr. property. Lewis, who moved from Quebec, lived in the home with his wife Rose, who was born in the United States and moved to Canada in 1889.

Although now part of the city of Vancouver, the neighbourhood of Sunset was formerly located in the then separate municipality of South Vancouver. It remained a small district for many years and it was not until 1911 that the population began to see a significant increase in numbers. Land that had once been cheap was then being subdivided for profit margins far above the cost only 10 years prior. Growth of the area levelled out after the initial boom leading into the 1920s but soon thereafter, the agricultural land became the site of homes for World War II veterans in the 1940s. In the 1950s, the Sunset area welcomed the additions of Wilson Park and John Oliver Secondary School. In the 21st century, Sunset is a diverse, working-class area, home to many independently-owned shops.

Source

British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955, VanMap, Heritage Vancouver Building Permits Database