7255 Laurel St

7255 Laurel St., previously 925 W. 57^th Ave., is an example of the Arts and Crafts-style that was popularized by the English in the 1910s to the 1930s. It is identified through its large hipped roof and gabled roof structures that feature half-timbering detail throughout. The home also features several panes of leaded glass, a decorative element where small panes of glass are divided by long, slender bars of lead.  This section of West 57th Avenue was previously known as Shannon Road. Named after William Shannon, who was the owner of the land that the road laid upon, the name was changed by Point Grey Bylaw 17 in 1912.

Permits for the structure were issued in September of 1912 by Robert G. Macpherson for $5,200 for a two-storey frame residence. Designed and built by Laurence & Evans, the construction for the home is documented to have commenced a few months later in 1913. Macpherson, who lived with his wife, was employed as provincial manager of National Life Assurance Co. While the Macphersons are shown to have resided at 7255 Laurel St. until the late 1930s, other tenants include Guy and Gladys Marriott, a retired couple who moved into the home in the 1940s.

Located in Oakridge, this area is relatively young in comparison to many neighbourhoods in Vancouver. Oak Street became the city’s new Jewish community after World War II, shifting from the Strathcona area. During the 1960s Oakridge began to see significant development with the influx of new families arriving to the area, and with them the addition of schools, hospitals, and community centers. Oakridge Mall, developed around the same decade, became Vancouver’s first shopping center. Oak Street is also home to several religious landmarks, including the Unity Church, Unitarian Church, and Temple Sholom Synagogue.

Source

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