1284-1290 E 12th Ave

Historical records indicate that permits for two houses at 1284 and 1294 E 12^th Avenue were issued in 1909 to W. J. Harrington. However, these houses were either never built or they were demolished within 15 years. The present two-storey commercial building has occupied this lot since 1925, one of a series of buildings owned by William T. Wenborn and built by Pike and Mason across the 1270-1290 lots of E 12^th Avenue. Wenborn himself both lived in and ran the Central Meat Market out of the former building at 1278 E 12^th for a number of years. The building that sat between the buildings at 1280 and 1260 E 12^th Ave., appears to be fire-damaged in a 1985 archive photo and no longer exists today.

The bakery of William H. Stuckey operated out of the storefrontat 1284 E 12^th Ave for at least three decades. The corner storefront at 1290 E 12^th Ave was Simpson’s Grocery during the 1920s, becoming a pharmacy in the 1930s.This was first Lloyd’s Pharmacy from 1931 to 1933, then the long-lasting Galt Pharmacy  from 1934 to at least the mid-1950s, which also contained a post office. As was common throughout the city, the two upstairs apartments at 1286 E. 12^th Ave. were sometimes occupied by the proprietors of the businesses downstairs, though they saw frequent turnover in residents during the early 20^th century. A photograph of the corner of Clark and 12^th Avenue from the 1980s shows National Upholstery as the business in the 1290 E 12^th Ave. storefront. As of 2020, the two commercial spaces in the building were occupied by AR Cannabis Store (1290 E 12^th Ave) and A-Z Banners (1284 E 12^th Ave).

According to archival photographs, the exterior of both this building and the one next door at 1284-1290 E 12^th Ave. were altered sometime after 1985 by the application of stucco that either covered or replaced the wooden clapboard siding. The building’s arched entranceway, decorative wooden window frames and cornice were removed as well. Similar features to those that once existed on this building can still be seen on the neighbouring building at 1260 12^th Ave.

Source

British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955, Heritage Vancouver Building Permits Database, City of Vancouver Archives