Overview
Address
353 Water St, Vancouver BC
Neighbourhood
Gastown
type
Commercial
Protection & Recognition
- M: Municipal Protection
Description
Completed in 1902, this five-storey warehouse was built by John Macfarlane McLuckie who owned a number of properties on the north side of Water Street, and also constructed many of the large warehouses in the area.
The building represents the importance of Gastown as the transhipment point between the terminus of the railway and Pacific shipping routes. Loading bays at the lower level facing the railway tracks allowed goods to be offloaded directly from the trains.
The building style represents a transitional period in Vancouver architecture, from the Romanesque Revival style to the classical influences of the Edwardian era.
The first occupant of the building was W.H. Malkin & Co., wholesale grocers, who also specialized in importing grocery from England. Within a decade, the company occupied five large warehouses on Water Street, 55 and 141 Water Street are two examples.
By 1911 this building was occupied by two dry goods companies – Stewart & MacDonald, and James Thomson & Sons. The building is now a mix of commercial and retail space.
Source
Canada's Historic Places, Changing Vancouver blog
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