ARCHITECTURE:
The entrance of this two-storey, flat-roofed brick commercial building is offset to the left. The door and large single-pane windows on either side are tied together by a moulded sheet metal header. The upper storey has five segmentally-arched, multi-paned, double-hung sash windows. The upper part of the façade is defined by a band of corbelled brick perhaps originally capped by a sheet metal cornice. The left side of the Pembroke St façade has several windows with concrete lintels; the right side retains segmentally-arched, multi-paned, double-hung sashes. There are three large doors on this façade. In 1898 builders William Henry Luney and George Wood had their shop on this property.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
This building was erected as a 4-room carriage and blacksmith’s shop for Patrick W. Dempster. The estimated cost was $3,500 but the architect and builder are unknown. Dempster later moved his carriage-building business to Dupplin Rd in Saanich. After WWI, he went into the auto repair business and later was in business with John T. Dempster as Dempster’s Tourist Garage, 1703 Blanshard.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
Cowichan Creamery Traders was in the building from 1931-41, Buckerfield’s Flour & Feed from 1939-46. Maple Leaf Milling Co moved in in 1943. A manually-operated grain elevator was installed in the building and it is still there, the last one remaining in western Canada. There were several short-term tenants in the 1950s and early 1960s. Victoria Glass was there from 1965-69, with William A. Usborne as president of the company. The building was bought by the Hastings Vacuum & Appliances Service, owned by William Hastings, as an office and warehouse. In 2004 the Habitat for Humanity shop ReStore moved into the building. It is now Russell Food Equipment’s parts and repairs service department.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:
• Map of Victoria Heritage Register Properties
• Burnside Heritage Register
• This Old House, Victoria’s Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Three: Rockland, Burnside, Harris Green,
Hillside-Quadra, North Park & Oaklands