ARCHITECTURE:
This two-storey, flat-roofed, commercial brick building has a metal cornice on the front façade and returns around the right side. There are full-height pilasters on the front corners and the right side. The floors on the front are separated by a wide belt course. Painted-out clerestory windows are above plate glass show windows either side of the recessed entrance. The second storey has three double windows; they continue along the Pembroke St façade.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1913-28: The building, which cost $7000 to construct, was a showroom and warehouse for Albion Stove Works, a division of Albion Iron Works (AIW). This company, established in Victoria in 1863 by Joseph Spratt (548 Lotbiniere Av, Rockland) was reputedly the largest such company north of San Francisco. They started producing wood stoves in 1878. The business was re-organized in 1891 with a board of directors that included R.P. Rithet, Robert Ward, Joseph Trutch and Charles Spratt. AIW built cars for the E&N railway, steam engines, ship boilers and decorative ironwork for the many new commercial buildings in Victoria. An important contract in 1890 was for the 400-horsepower steam engine for the new streetcar system, and in 1893 the contract to supply the iron and steel for the new BC Parliament buildings. Bagster Roads Seabrook (242 Gorge Rd E, Burnside, 721 Linden Av, Rockland), engineer and inventor, became mgr of AIW in 1896. A separate company, Albion Stove Works was formed in 1905 and offered as many as 30 types of wood stoves, which were still being sold in 1928 when the company was dissolved.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1930-53: Enamel & Heating Products Ltd stoves, etc, began operations under management of Robert Sinclair Rendall Whyte (b. Victoria 1889-1961 (155 Rendall St, James Bay). The factory was at 612-22 Pembroke St (demo’d, p31).
1969-late 1990s: Owen Sons & Richardson, president Samuel Owen, sold cash registers and other office machinery. The name changed to Owen Business Systems in the mid-1990s and John R. Owen was the president. They then moved to Tennyson Av.
2001-present: Owners Hartwig Industries have rented to various furniture makers and retailers.