727 E 50th Ave

727 E 50^th St., formerly 539 E 52^nd St., is an Edwardian style home. It features a triple window located on the right-hand side of the home and an asymmetrical staircase. The house is also lightly ornamented, with details such as the brackets and dentil range.

The permit for the home, valued at $1000, was filed in March of 1912 under owner W. C Fowler. The home was subsequently built by a local company by the name of Bungalow Construction.

James C. Duncan, a past resident, lived in the home around 1920 with his wife Janet and two children, Margaret and William. James immigrated to Canada in 1909 from Scotland with his family following suit a year later. As head of the family, James worked as a machinery salesman.

Other residents included A. W Mason in 1930, a salesman, and Mrs. J. M Beaton, who moved into the home shortly after in 1935.

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