Townsend & Townsend

Here is an interesting post from Scout magazine about the architects Townsend & Townsend and the "diapering" design they became known for during the golden age of Vancouver building before the First World War. Although they are not mentioned in the article, the Drive has three Townsend & Townsend buildings, none of which have the … Continue reading Townsend & Townsend →

James Guinet Presentation

At last month's GHG meeting, I gave a presentation of the Grandview years of James Guinet, who built more than 50 houses in our neighbourhood between 1907 and 1912. This is an accessible version of that presentation: Guinet_web_Presentation I will work on remembering how to put up a self-running version!

Meeting Notes: May 2014

We had another interesting meeting last night, with even more newcomers filling out the room. It was great to see them. After introductions, Penny reported on the response to the 2014 Centenary Houses project. She and Maria delivered 35 letters of proposal about two weeks ago, and we have already heard back positively from about … Continue reading Meeting Notes: May 2014 →

1500-Block Grant Street

In an earlier post, I had discussed James Guinet who began work in our neighbourhood by building himself a family home at 1556 Grant Street. Now, through the generosity of James Guinet's grand-daughter, we have a photograph of that house taken just after it was built in 1909. Those of you who know the neighbourhood … Continue reading 1500-Block Grant Street →

James Guinet: A Builder of Grandview

Between 1908 and 1912, during the boom that essentially created Grandview, James Guinet was responsible for building at least 45 houses in the community, and probably more. But only the barest of facts are known about him. These are notes for a biography of what might be one of the most important figures of Grandview's … Continue reading James Guinet: A Builder of Grandview →