Atlantic Furnished Rooms

The Atlantic Furnished Rooms was an early Gastown rooming house.

The building’s original owner was Baron and Marquis James Canby Cyprian DeBiddle Cope. Though born in Shropshire, England, Cope lived in Verona, Italy, and was a Roman Marquis and a Baron of the Kingdom of Italy. Cope was typical of speculative British investors who saw potential in Vancouver’s development as a major port on the Pacific Ocean. He acquired the site as a holding property in 1890.

The building was constructed in 1906. The rapid construction of a number of hotel structures along Cordova Street at this time was in response to a change in liquor licensing laws that abolished free-standing saloons on July 1, 1906.

Rooming houses such as this provided both short and long term lodging, serving primarily those who worked in the seasonal resource trades such as fishing and logging. Many of these rooming houses had commercial services on the ground floor and lodging rooms on the upper floors.

Source

Canada's Historic Places

More information

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2540&pid=0