The Mount Pleasant BIA has a self-guided walking tour. Here are two stops along the way.
Depencier House
151 East 8th, built in 1894
This house is said to be the oldest currently occupied single-family residence outside downtown. Before 1912, it faced Main Street on the corner. To accommodate the Royal Bank building, it was jacked up and moved behind the bank. Bains Chocolates occupied the space from 1938 to 2004, when the owner retired. This photo by A.L. Yates was taken in 1958. It is now home to a restaurant called 8 1/2 and the hair salon Hairkraft.
Ashnola Apartments (above)
203 East 6th, built in 1912
This is an example of the Edwardian Renaissance style. The owner was Israel Wood Powell (of Powell Street and Powell River). Construction took one year and was done on a 24-hour schedule. The glass blocks are original, showing very early use before they became popular in the 1940s. This photo was taken by Jack Lindsay in the 1940s when G.L. Pop Fine Furs was the occupant. Currently the building is home to apartments and Red Galleria, Bungalow and The Whip Restaurant & Gallery. City of Vancouver Archives
