1240 Thurlow St

Originally on the corner of Davie Street and Thurlow Street stood a house built in 1894. The address was 1074 Davie Street, and the Wintermute Family owned it until 1917. Benjamin Wintermute was a florist and nurseryman.

In 1926, the current commercial building at 1098 Davie Street was built in front of the house, and the address for the house changed to 1240 Thurlow Street. There were still mostly houses along Davie at this point, making this one of the oldest commercial buildings in the area. Over time other commercial buildings replaced the houses.

The house, at this point at 1240 Thurlow, was a rooming house from the mid 1930’s until the late 1960’s. The house was probably demolished at that point and all that remains is a parking lot. An addition was added to the back of 1098 Davie Street but the address of the addition has always been 1240 Thurlow Street.

Bars and clubs occupied the addition and the upstairs of 1098 Davie over the years, The Oasis Club in most recent years, and currently The Playhouse Night Club. Some of the occupants of 1092-1098 Davie Street were Bill’s Barber Shop (1949 to 1966), Victory Shoe Repair (1946 to 1971), Wong Sung Laundry (1938 to 1948), Union Dyers and Cleaners (1929 to 1935), Dunker’s Do-nuts (1948 to 1971), and the Black Angus Restaurant (1972 to 1985).

Source

VanMap 1912, 1944, 1955, Vancouver City Directories