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Doane Block

1314-1324 Douglas Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1995/01/19

Exterior view of the Doane Block; City of Victoria, Berdine J. Jonker, 2005.
Douglas Street elevation.
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Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1891/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/11/15

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Doane Block is a two storey, painted brick commercial building on Douglas Street. It has five bays, with the central bay accentuated with a raised cornice and slightly recessed window arches, and stained glass transom windows on the second storey.

Heritage Value

The Doane Block possesses heritage value because it has qualities which maintain the heritage character of Victoria's historic downtown: a wide two storey form and its five small, separate storefronts.

Its five bay composition and consistent use by a wide variety of commercial enterprises since its construction in 1891 are integral to its heritage value, as these elements add diversity to both the scale and use of the commercial streetscape on the outer perimeter of Victoria's Old Town District. Physically, it adds cohesiveness to the street wall, extends a sense of visual continuity, and reinforces this portion of the 1300 block of Douglas Street, an entire block of heritage buildings from the late nineteenth century.

Furthermore, the fact that this building was originally constructed for a Miss W. Doane, and is one of only a handful of commercial structures of this era built in the Old Town District for female owners, speaks to the limited diversity of real estate speculators in Victoria in the late nineteenth century.

Source: City of Victoria Planning and Development Dept.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Doane Block include:
- Its two storey scale and wide composition.
- Its distinct architectural rhythm, accentuated by prominent piers dividing each of the five bays and storefronts.
- Its bilateral symmetry, highlighted by a more pronounced central bay possessing such design elements as a raised cornice, and recessed window arches.
- Design elements which support its 1891 character, including corbelled brickwork along the cornice, and stained glass transom windows on the upper storey.
- Interior spaces which pertain to its 1891 design, including the five separate commercial spaces at street level.
- Evidence of construction methods, and materials used to carry out its original design.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

British Columbia

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (BC)

Recognition Statute

Local Government Act, s.954

Recognition Type

Community Heritage Register

Recognition Date

1995/01/19

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

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Office or Office Building

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Victoria Planning and Development Dept.

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

DcRu-819

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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