Harbour Block

Harbour Block is a two-storey commercial block built as a warehouse in 1926. Its builders and probable designers were Edward Baynes and William McLeod Horie, who played an important role in the city’s construction industry.

Baynes and Horie established their construction firm in Vancouver in 1893. Both men were active trade unionists and served on the executive of the carpenters’ union in the 1890s. Baynes and Horie constructed numerous buildings along Water and Cordova Streets during the first phase of Gastown’s construction.

The name ‘Harbour Block’ suggests that the decision to build was associated with the expansion of Vancouver’s port facilities in the 1920s.
One long-term tenant was T. Skinner and Company, a metalworking firm that is still active in the Vancouver area. Another long-term tenant was coast binery. In the 1980s, the building swiched from commericial use to residential use.

Source

Canada's Historic Places, VHF Files

More information

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7860&pid=23631&h=73,Alexander,Street