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A. MacDonald and Company Building

40 Powell Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2003/01/14

Exterior view of the A. MacDonald and Co. Building; City of Vancouver 2004
Front facade
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Other Name(s)

A. MacDonald and Company Building
40-50 Powell Street

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1898/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/02/21

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The historic place at 40 Powell Street comprises a five storey, heavy timber-frame warehouse in the Edwardian Commercial architectural style in Vancouver's Gastown, close to rail and sea transport corridors. It is now used for offices and high end retail goods.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the A. MacDonald and Company Building resides in its architecture and in its contribution to the streetscape of the historic Gastown district. It is also of interest as the former west coast warehouse of a large, wholesale grocers, a business activity typical of Vancouver's commercial district.

The building is an accomplished architectural edifice in the developing Edwardian Commercial style. It was built in 1898 for the Winnipeg-based wholesale grocery firm of A. MacDonald and Company as its West Coast depot, first as three storeys with an arcaded top floor to the designs of William Blackmore, and extended to six storeys in 1912 to the designs of his son Edward "Ted" Evans Blackmore. William Blackmore's design is of interest for the way it reflects the stylistic influence, of a decade earlier, of American architects, Henry Hobson Richardson and George B. Post in its use of the Romanesque style. This phenomenon speaks to the isolation from transport corridors until late in the nineteenth century, and consequently the delayed development of the City of Vancouver. The respect for the preceding design, shown by Ted Blackmore's extension speaks to both family pride and the continuing commitment to the Romanesque as an appropriate style for commercial architecture. The significance of the building is consolidated by the survival of the building envelope in virtually unaltered condition.

The warehouse/factory is of interest as being representative of a typical Vancouver commercial building. Architectural detail is lavished on the street facade, whereas the party walls and rear are strictly utilitarian. In common with many other warehouses adjacent to the right of way, the building was provisioned directly from the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) tracks via an elevated platform beneath a suspended canopy. In later years, again in common with other similarly positioned buildings, after the advent of the motor vehicle and the closure of the branch line, the right of way was given up by the CPR and encroachments for garaging began to appear.

In 1907, A. MacDonald and Company had the distinction of being the only firm in Canada to sell wholesale provisions solely by catalogue. The business lasted until the 1920s, and, like many of its contemporaries, was successful for a time, enabling MacDonald to gradually expand his premises on Powell Street, and eventually to build the warehouse that we see today.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the A. MacDonald and Company Building include:
- Location in Vancouver's former commercial district close to the old Port of Vancouver and adjacent to the former CPR right of way
- Massing including the occupation of the entire lot
- The stepped relationship of this roof with its neighbours
- Stone masonry details including the rusticated granite ground floor and the rusticated sandstone upper floors
- Articulation of the facade by pilasters, corbelled string course, rusticated string courses and sills
- Centralized arrangement with wider bay between pilasters at centre
- Semi-circular arched windows on top storey, square headed windows on other floors
- Large shop windows at ground floor level flanked by doorways
- Finished woodwork including windows and frames of double-hung vertical sliding sashes and of fixed lights of shop display windows
- Sheet metal cornice
- Remains of loading bay to rear

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

City of Vancouver

Recognition Statute

Vancouver Charter, s.593

Recognition Type

Heritage Designation

Recognition Date

2003/01/14

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1912/01/01 to 1912/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Warehouse

Architect / Designer

Edward Evans Blackmore

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DhRs-177

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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