Donna recently sent me this photo of a house on Harwood Street in the West End. She said: “I came across this picture in some old family photos. I live in Calgary and as far as I know, there is no family connection to the building. There is no date on my photo, and I could not find any reference as to when this building was used for a school. I’m not looking for further information, I only wanted to share this photo.”
How intriguing!
Donna had seen a now and then photo that I posted of a house at 1185 Harwood in 1956 and thought it was the same one. And, she’s right it is, but this photo was taken two decades earlier. The house was designed by architects Parr and Fee in 1903 for contractor Alex Morrison. The family lived there until Margaret Morrison’s death in 1933 at 85.
The Lions Gate School for boys opened in September 1935, operated out of the house for two years and then moved to Oak Street. I did find a reference to the school in Jean Barman’s book Growing up British in British Columbia. She writes that the school was small, about 75 students and a third of them boarders. “Lions Gate survived because it provided individual attention as well as an economical, unpretentious compromise for families eschewing the public system but unable to afford the fees or possibly accept the social pretentions of a school like St. Georges.”
In the fall of 1937 the Margaret Nursing and Convalescent Home had opened and was still operating in 1956 when this photo was taken.
Today, a 15-storey high-rise called Lancaster House (1320 Bute) has taken over that corner of Harwood and Bute street, and the only evidence of the house is the stone fence that still remains.
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14 comments on “The Harwood Street House”
I often mean to drop you a note to thank you for the wonderful historical history of so many Vancouver locations. Keep the stories coming Eve.
Thank you so much!
My best friend in high school’s (grad ‘77) dad owned and lived on the main floor of the house across the street (SE corner fronting Bute). 1185 had been gone for a while but great cast of interesting and or flaky characters attracted to cheap rent by the beach in the day.
Love it! Would not a photo depiction of the West End be something. Looking down the alley between Davie and Pendrall the canyon effect is taking hold.
It would!
I have lived in this building at Bute and Harwood for the past 12 years. However, I worked with a man who lived in this building – Steven Blair Brainard (his name is on the Aids memorial) from 1994-95 before his death due to HIV/AIDS. A great deal of the residents in here have lived with HIV/Aids for years, and still houses many elderly people as well. It is so interesting that a great deal of its heritage was as a convalescent home. I’m sure a lot of people have spent their final days in this spot in Vancouver. It really should be bought by the city or federal government as subsidized housing for the more vulnerable members of our community.
Ditto, always look forward to opening your emails. Thank you Eve, so enjoy the stories.
Thanks Joanne!
Oh, what a beautiful home in its time.
I like getting your posts. This home has a very interesting life & had to be destroyed. How sad.
I would very much like to join your contact list, Eve. I grew up in Vancouver, lived in the West End as a newlywed in the mid 70’s. Then we moved to East Van and bought a house.
Thanks Fran, happy to have you!
I just received a link to this article from someone who knew I was interested in finding a photo of the Lions Gate School at 3737 Oak Street. If anyone comes across a photo of the building (which is no longer there) I sure would appreciate it. I believe the school started at Oak Street around 1937 and operated there until the 1960’s. The St Clare School for girls operated at the Oak Street location for several years prior to Lions Gate School.
I went to lions Gate School back in the early 60s and the house behind the block was the school back then.