1560 Comox St.

1560 Comox St., previously 1558 Comox St., is a Gabled Vernacular-style home located on the corner of Cardero Street and Comox Street. It features a full porch, double-hung windows, and a bay window on the facade. The permit for the apartment building was issued in May 1910 with an estimated cost of $4000. While designed and owned by Charles David Rand, a local real estate, rental and insurance agent, the building was built by contractor Wellington W. Brehaut. Named by L.A. Hamilton, Comox is an approximation of the word for “abundance” in Kwak’wala (the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwakaʼwakw in Western Canada) and is one of many Vancouver street names to be derived from Indigenous languages.

One of the first residents, Charles Edward Halford lived at 1560 Comox St. and resided in the home with his wife Frances and son Thomas. Hailing from Wales, Charles and his family immigrated to Canada in 1912 and moved into 1560 Comox St. shortly thereafter. Charles was employed as a clerk at a dry goods store, while Thomas was employed as a hotel worker.

The West End originally served as a neighbourhood for the upper class. From the 1890s onwards, many new homes, predominantly Victorian-style in early years, were erected. The neighbourhood began to redevelop again around two decades later with the construction of apartment buildings along the original streetcar lines. Due to building codes at the time, these apartments were only six stories high, a large height differential to the condominiums that surround these structures today. Today, the West End thrives as a densely populated residential area. It also encompasses Davie Street Village, which became a hub for the LGBTQ+ community in Vancouver beginning in the 1970s and is steps away from retail shops and Stanley Park.

Source

British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955, VanMap, Heritage Vancouver Building Permits Database, VHF’s House Style Webtool