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Keith Block

93 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, British Columbia, V7M, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1995/01/01

Exterior view of the Keith Block, 2004; City of North Vancouver, 2004
Oblique view
Keith Block under construction, circa 1908; North Vancouver Museum and Archives, #9248
Oblique view
No Image

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1908/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/02/25

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Keith Block is a three-storey flat-roofed wood-frame Edwardian era commercial building, with a distinctive curved corner treatment, located on a prominent corner in the commercial district of Lower Lonsdale.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Keith Block is associated with its location in Lower Lonsdale, the commercial core of North Vancouver, and the earliest, most historic area of commercial buildings on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet. Lower Lonsdale grew explosively from the turn of the twentieth century until the general financial depression in 1913 halted the ambitious construction of the previous years. The streetcar, ferry to Vancouver and the Pacific Great Eastern railway converged at the south foot of Lonsdale Avenue, the major transportation hub on the North Shore. The area represents a formative period in B.C.'s economy, driven at the time by major industries including logging and shipbuilding.

Built in 1908, the Keith Block is valued as one of the early prominent buildings from the boom era in the City of North Vancouver. With its mix of commercial and retail space, the Keith Block demonstrates the rapid development of the area at an early point in the City's history.

The Keith Block is valued as a very good example of Edwardian era design, with unusual architectural details, including the curved corner treatment, irregular fenestration and a continuous wrapped cornice. The design of the Keith Block is attributed to architects Honeyman and Curtis.

The Keith Block is significant for its association with James Cooper Keith (1852-1914), an important banker, developer and community leader on the North Shore after whom Keith Road was named.

Source: Heritage Planning Files, City of North Vancouver

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Keith Block include its:
- rectangular form, prominent scale and boxy massing
- flat roof with raised parapets
- corner location, with orientation to Lonsdale Avenue and West 1st Street
- curved corner treatment, with corner entry
- ground floor retail storefronts on both street frontages
- decorative leaded windows at the corner
- square projecting bays that punctuate the two main facades
- continuous cornice at the parapet level
- irregular fenestration, including single, double and triple assembly windows
- double-hung 2-over-1 wooden-sash windows

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

1995/01/01

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce

Function - Category and Type

Current

Commerce / Commercial Services
Shop or Wholesale Establishment
Commerce / Commercial Services
Office or Office Building

Historic

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Heritage Planning Files, City of North Vancouver

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DhRs-400

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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