Arlington Hotel
302 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique, V6B, Canada
Reconnu formellement en:
2003/01/14
Autre nom(s)
Arlington Hotel
Arlington Rooms
302 West Cordova Street
Arlington Block
Liens et documents
s/o
Date(s) de construction
1887/01/01
Inscrit au répertoire canadien:
2008/01/18
Énoncé d'importance
Description du lieu patrimonial
The Arlington Hotel is a three-storey late Victorian Italianate commercial structure on West Cordova near the intersection of Cambie Street in Vancouver's historic Gastown District.
Valeur patrimoniale
The significance of the Arlington Hotel lies equally in its proximity to the bustling commercial core around the corner on West Hastings Street, and to important commercial landmarks such as the Dominion Building, built in 1908-1910, promoted at the time as "an object of pride to every citizen", and described as the most modern office building in the country. This late Victorian structure was typical of scores of residential/commercial buildings built during the early twentieth century, when this part of town was the prime commercial and shopping area. This type of rooming hotel was in high demand to accommodate travelers and businessmen, seasonal resource industry workers, as well as more permanent residents.
It was originally built as professional offices and as accommodation in 1887 and owned by Dr. James Whetham. The design is attributed to N.S. Hoffar. Many of Vancouver’s early commercial buildings were designed by prominent architects like Hoffar. The Arlington Hotel served a combined function of providing commercial space on the ground floor, and lodging and residential space on the upper floors. The evolution of this lodging house continued as the Simcoe Rooming House, and subsequently as the Arlington Rooms from 1913 until the early 1950’s. The adjacent Arlington Billiard Parlor provided recreation for lodgers, and three cafes in close proximity served the culinary needs of many travelers to the area, seasonal workers, and hotel residents alike.
It is interesting to note that this three-storey brick structure, with fourteen foot ceilings, was originally built to a depth of only 66 feet, according to the British tradition of allowing for courtyard space at the rear. This space was built upon in 1909 to house a printing wing of Thomson Brothers, booksellers.
By the early 1960s the Arlington Hotel, like many of its neighbours, had deteriorated badly and was forced to close. The revitalization of Gastown really began here when, in the mid-1960s, property owners in the area conducted a painting campaign, instilling new life into the Arlington and surrounding buildings.
Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program
Éléments caractéristiques
The character-defining elements of the Arlington Hotel include:
- its functional relationship with neighbouring buildings as part of this historic streetscape
- characteristics of the Victorian Italianate style including: three storey masonry building divided into three bays; narrow central bay of side by side double-hung sash windows providing entry to upper levels, flanked by two bays three windows wide; sheet metal cornice extended by a bracket at top of the four dividing pilasters, third level windows with semi-circular top sash units with stepped moulded brick semi-circular architraves, second level windows with segmental top
- two shopfronts with splayed central entrances on either side of a central entry to upper levels
Reconnaissance
Juridiction
Colombie-Britannique
Autorité de reconnaissance
Ville de Vancouver
Loi habilitante
Vancouver Charter, art.593
Type de reconnaissance
Désignation patrimoniale
Date de reconnaissance
2003/01/14
Données sur l'histoire
Date(s) importantes
s/o
Thème - catégorie et type
- Économies en développement
- Commerce et affaires
Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction
Actuelle
- Commerce / Services commerciaux
- Hôtel, motel ou auberge
Historique
Architecte / Concepteur
N.S. Hoffar
Constructeur
s/o
Informations supplémentaires
Emplacement de la documentation
City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program
Réfère à une collection
Identificateur féd./prov./terr.
DhRs-205
Statut
Édité
Inscriptions associées
s/o