A Dutch Colonial

In 1930, houses were built with strong materials. This one was a lovely home, but it met the same fate as the one next door at 4018 and of many others in the Dunbar area, getting demolished on March 29 or 30, 2016.

The above photo is from September 2014. Here is one from January 2015:

I looked inside and saw a brick fireplace surrounded by traditional leaded glass book cases.

The backyard had an apple tree--here are the last apples to be produced by that tree. Will the new house have an apple tree?

Under that stucco, brown wooden shingles!

In this view from the lane, you can see a bit of the gambrel roof, indicating that the house was a Dutch colonial style. Construction on neighbour 4018 has begun.

I do not know if the house was occupied in recent years. Beginning in July 2014 the grass was looking neglected. It was sold in September 2013 and then for half a million more in February 2015. The replacement house will likely sell for at least 2 million more. Does all that money benefit our community in any way? Will the new house be a home for anyone?

Merited a Second Glance

It was a beautiful morning on May 20, 2015, and although it was a Wednesday, there were four open houses in my neighbourhood. This was one of them:

In August, it became clear that this 66 foot wide lot was actually 2 legal lots. The house was built in 1945 by someone who wanted a large garden surrounding their home. Because of the expansive garden and the unusual house, the place always merited a second glance when walking by (at least by me!).

The large bay window faced south. Note the curved wooden flooring trim.

 See what was left behind!

The house on October 31, 2015. It was demolished in mid March 2016. More photos at Vancouver Vanishes.

And did I mention that there were 4 open houses on that day? The other 3 houses are still standing...for the time being.

A Dark Day for Heritage in Dunbar

The Dunbar area has only a few houses designated as Heritage. On March 10, 2016 we lost a house which was designated Heritage B. It was built in 1915 and had retained its character.

We knew the demolition was near because the Vancouver Sun had an article about it on March 3, 2016.

I have long admired this house. Its vulnerability came to my attention when it was for sale in September 2011. 

In April 2015, red fencing appeared around the holly tree. I was hopeful that a laneway house was going to be built. That made sense because there was no garage.

And why did they protect the invasive holly tree? In early 2016, my heart sank as windows in the house were left open and eventually broken. The house was beginning to be trashed.

What is special about a house from 1915?

Vancouver Vanishes has also covered this house.