Mount Pleasant Walking Tour
A Walking Tour Through Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant
The historical buildings of Mount Pleasant are an easy walk from each other
Heritage Hall
The tour begins at Heritage Hall. Located at 3102 Main Street, it was originally built as a postal station and then housed many other organizations. The newly restored interior boasts a steel staircase, as well as marble and ceramic tiles in Beaux-Art Classicism style.
Wenonah Apartments
Walk north 4 blocks and across the street to the Wenonah Apartments. Most of the original storefront structure remains from 1915, when a boom of retail and residential buildings were constructed. Around the western corner at 2649 Quebec Street, Frontenac is the first brick apartment building ever constructed in the area.
Lee Building
Another 2 blocks north on Main Street will bring you to the Lee Building. In 1912, it was the tallest structure south of False Creek at 7 floors high. Recent controversy has revolved around the billboard that sits on top of the building and generates revenue for renovations.
Doering and Marstrand Brewery
The above named partners built the 2 structures that still stand at 280 East 6th Avenue and 263 East 7th Avenue, just east of Main Street. They were the first to have their own ice plant and bottling works when they constructed the buildings in 1886 and 1892 respectively. At capacity, the breweries were able to produce 1,000 barrels of beer and ale each month.
Quebec Manor
Heading back to the west side of Main Street, Quebec Manor sits at 101 East 7th Avenue. Built in 1912, the building now accommodates a housing co-op. Both interior and exterior are elegant with bay windows, wrought iron balconies, and a patterned yellow and red brick exterior. Notice the naked maidens at the main entrance, considered controversial in their day.
Evangelistic Tabernacle
Walk 3 blocks south to the Evangelistic Tabernacle at 85 East 10th Avenue. The Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church was resident here in 1910, in what has now been converted into residential suites. The arched windows, round entrance arches and red brickwork trimmed in stone were done in the Romanesque Revival style. Also included is a corner turret and church spire.
Algonquin Apartments
Almost beside the church are the Algonquin Apartments at 5 East 10th Avenue. This 1906 building gives a good idea of the style and type of exterior that was common during the boom years of Mount Pleasant.
West 10th Avenue
Keep walking west along 10th Avenue to see the Victorian house at 115, built in 1890, and the Edwardian structure at 117, built in 1905. The latter incorporates shingle and clapboard siding and has decorative stained glass windows. 166 is the first home to be renovated by John Davis, a contractor who has refurbished 9 of the homes along this street. 124 is one of the last remaining that used cast stone, which was later replaced with concrete blocks. Notice the curved roof and the fretworking at the peak of the house.
Columbia Street
You will find Bloomfield House at 2532, built in 1900 and was the location of the Bloomfield stained glass studio. Less than 1 block north is 2631, a 1910 house built in Queen Anne style.
West 11th Avenue
1 block west on West 11th Avenue is where many homes were built during the boom years of Mount Pleasant. The house at 142 is a good example of how residents settled. They would construct a smaller bungalow at the back of the lot until they had enough money to build a large and impressive house at the front. Number 74 was built in 1891 and typifies the type of house built at the turn of the century.
Information compiled from the City of Vancouver Planning Department and The Vancouver Museum.
