For the past few years I’ve had to a run an errand on the 1100 block of Lonsdale, and when parking has been scarce, I’d park just east of Lonsdale in front of a 1911 apartment building called Colonial Apartments at 160 E. 10th Street. The first time I saw this building, I was immediately taken by its gothic and moody exterior obscured by ivy. There is no other building like it on the North Shore and it gives me a feeling of Old California or New Orleans. You may have passed by it and wondered about it too, but did you know how many honoured and well-known figures in North Vancouver’s history are connected to it?
That staircase! I’m not sure what the original colour was - it looks white in the black and white photo but may have been a light colour - but this red is so striking, and in my opinion, suits the building perfectly.
Photo by Jenny Morgan
Photo taken by resident Robert (Bob) Mattocks, husband of Colonial Apartments residents Florence Mattocks, from the collection of B. Mattocks sometime between 1911 and 1914.
But before I get to its residents, I’d like to talk a little about the building itself;
Built in 1911, added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2005, and listed in the City of North Vancouver Heritage register as ‘Heritage Register ranking ‘A’, it looks like a building that would have collected a lot of stories over its nearly 115-year history, and although many of them have been lost, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the building and its inhabitants.
Although there are many Craftsman-style houses in North Vancouver, The Colonial is a rare example of an apartment building with both Craftsman features (with the low-pitched roof, deep eaves and tapered columns) and the Californian style popular at the time (with its ranks of bay windows and decorative touches). The three-and-a-half-story, six-suite building was built from wood, and the large, central staircase, bell-cast hipped roof with dormer, clinker brick chimney, decorative patterns of wood and brick in the porch and the original balcony, make this building a standout design. Below is a comprehensive advertisement for the building before it opened, by the first proprieter, Anna Dierssen.
Clipping from The Express, Sept. 19, 1911, courtesy of Newspapers.com
It sounds like the Colonial would have been a very comfortable place to live, indeed! When it opened, rent was $20 and up for four and five room suites. Later ads included furnishings and some suites even had a piano included! The description gives the sense that a lot of thought was put into making it feel like a home, with window seats, lots of storage, free telephone and even Murphy beds to give extra space. Although it was what many would call a ‘rooming house’ at that time, and was certainly a passing through point for some, it also seemed like a nice place to live long-term should tenants wish to stay.
The proliferation of industries such as logging and shipbuilding helped to spur on a population explosion. Places like the Colonial were built to provide comfortable and affordable accommodation to this burgeoning population.
The ads for the first few years of the building’s existence advertise it as being on Victoria Park, so there must have just been land between it and the park. I saw photos of the park in the 1920s and there were houses in that spot on the park, but for a while, the Colonial had a direct park view.
In the early days, there were houses on both the east and west side of The Colonial. The ones just east of the Colonial were built in 1910 and 1907. These are the only two houses which remain on the block. The address for the Colonial was originally 160 E. 8th, but a few years later, the block was renamed to become 10th St where it does a little jog. The Colonial and the two houses were on one side of St. Georges, and St. Andrews Church was built on the other side of St. Georges Street just a year after the Colonial was built. It was certainly a time of development!
The property looks a lot smaller from the front, and you can see from the side view the depth of both the building and the lot.
The original and unusual curved porch railing and brick pillar design are still original. You can see above the pillar there is a newer support on it for the balcony above. The wood lattice of the balcony is not original and does not have the beauty or imagination the original one had.
Photos here and above by Jenny Morgan
The original wooden multi-paned double-hung wooden-sash windows with diamond-format muntins all seem to be intact on the front and both sides of the building, which is remarkable. I don’t think the back of the building would have had those and those plainer windows also seem to be original.
Photo by Jenny Morgan (above and below)
You can see from the photos above that there are some serious maintenance issues that make me worry about demolition by neglect. On the other side of the building, there is a window frame so badly rotted, you can see holes. For some time, when I’d pass by, I noticed that the main gutter and drain pipe at the top of the roof was broken and a lot of water could cause damage. It appears now the downspout was taken off completely, but I could be wrong.
Aside from being beautiful and iconic, and despite its maintenance issues, The Colonial is important in telling part of North Vancouver’s pioneer history. It was one of the first apartment buildings in North Vancouver at a time when mainly houses and hotels were providing shelter for people moving to North Vancouver. Apartments (or rooming houses as they were often referred to) were an affordable alternative to buying a home or renting short term in a hotel. Sometimes tenants stayed long-term, but often apartment suites were an important stepping stone for new residents, giving them a place to stay until they could afford their own home. This is shown in the turnover at the Colonial. There were a few long term residents in its early days, but it was largely interim housing.
North Shore Heritage’s president, Jennifer Clay, made an extensive search of the archival North Vancouver city directories to discover more about who the Colonial’s past tenants were and what their occupations were. I added to her research by looking at archived newspapers online and found quite a bit of information there. Some articles I’d read online didn’t seem to have quite the same information as each other, which made it confusing, and there were numerous references to ‘John Dierssen’ but they didn’t always match up.
History can be tricky to put together accurately when there are so many missing pieces, and especially confusing if sources do not all agree, but it makes for a fascinating puzzle to try and get it as right as possible. Here’s my best shot;
John Dierrsen Sr. (1846-1927), was the husband of the original proprietor of Colonial apartments (Anna Dierssen (1854-1929). They immigrated to North America from Germany with two of their three sons (John Jr. and Julius), and two of three daughters (I couldn’t find their first names but they became Mrs. T.H.Hamlin and Mrs. C. Grasbach after marriage), but must have spent some time in the US before coming to Canada, because one of their one of their sons and one of their daughters was born there. One son (Dr. Henry Dierssen) lived in Europe somewhere and one daughter (Elisabeth Rohlis) lived in Oakland, California.
(Curiously, one article I read said that another son, John, was born in the US in Sacramento, California, but in the census from 1911, it says that John was actually born in Germany in 1887. Perhaps this got confused with his brother’s birth country.)
However, John Jr. did marry an American, Elfrida Lange (1886-1960) from Minnesota. I’m not sure if they all moved to North Vancouver at the same time, but by 1910 much of the Dierssen clan were living in North Vancouver. John Sr. already had a business selling refreshments on North Vancouver’s ferry at the bottom of Lonsdale by 1905, so he and Anna may have been the first of the family to arrive. I wasn’t able to find precise documentation of the family’s arrival.
John Jr., using plans from Sacramento, California - and perhaps creating some of the design himself, as he’s listed as ‘designer’ in the City of North Vancouver’s heritage register - built the iconic-looking ‘Colonial Apartments’ in 1910 at the age of twenty-five. His mother was listed as the owner of the building, and she managed it as well. She and John Sr. both lived at the apartments until the end of their days in the late 1920s, and it seemed as though their daughters, as well as one of the daughter’s husbands, Timothy Hamlin lived there as well for a time. Hamlin was a floor layer for a flooring company on Granville St. John Jr. also worked at this company until he left it to open up his own rival company across the street and then dealt with the legal fallout as he had signed a contract with his previous employer never to open a flooring company in BC for ten years.
John Jr also constructed the building at St. Andrews and 8th St, although one source lists John Sr. as having built the Block with his son. This building was beautifully restored a number of years ago and now houses the beloved coffee shop, Andrews on Eighth. However, it once housed the ‘Pacific Grocer’ which was a big step up for John Sr in his evolution in the grocery business.
John Sr had started out in the area selling refreshments on the SS St. George Ferry. In 1906, he began selling fruit at a stand at the bottom of Lonsdale by the docks.
The Express, Sept. 21. 1906. Courtesy of newspapers.com
By 1908, he had a shop just up Lonsdale a little ways called the ‘Welcome Parlor’ that gave the ice cream shop that used to be at Andrews on Eighth (now located at the Shipyards) its name.
The Express, June 28, 1908. Courtesy of newspapers.com
Although the Welcome Parlor had treats, it was really a full grocery store with competitive prices as well as a cafe that sold hot food and sandwiches.
Once the building on 8th was completed, John Sr opened a grocery store there called ‘Pacific Market’ and sold the Welcome Parlor. John Jr and Elfrida moved into one of the residential units above the shop.
The Dierrsens as a family were very active in the Lonsdale area. Not only did John Sr. have grocery stores and help Anna run the Colonial, but he was also a real estate agent, selling homes that were likely built by his son John Jr, as well as advertising for rental homes and even garden plots. John Jr. had his own company and appears to have built a lot of homes in the area.
The Express, Feb. 27, 1912. Courtesy of newspapers. com
One of the most notable tenants was one of North Vancouver’s most honoured citizens, Dr. Howard Carson Graham, known as H. Carson Graham. (1899-1959). Originally from Ontario, Graham moved to North Vancouver in 1924 after graduating from McGill. He was one of the earliest doctors to practice medicine on the North Shore and eventually became the chief of medical staff for North Vancouver General Hospital which is now the current Lion’s Gate Hospital. He had a big hand in the planning of Lion’s Gate Hospital and was loved by his patients. But not only was he a key doctor on the North Shore at the hospital, he was also a doctor to the police, a doctor for ships coming to the North Shore, director of the Seamen’s Institute and member of both the Board of Education and the Board of Trade. This incredible list of achievements and his dedication to the people of North Vancouver led to him being honoured by naming the secondary school at Jones and Larson after him. My kids go to Carson Graham Secondary and I must admit I was ignorant to who H. Carson Graham was until I started writing this article. Graham contributed hugely to the North Shore and should be remembered for his achievements outside of the school name.
Howard Carson Graham
Image courtesy of MONOVA, inv. #7854
As I was searching for photos of the building online, I found the granddaughter of two of its early inhabitants (Bob and Florence Mattocks), and she has the most wonderful photo album full of photos of her grandparents in front of The Colonial. She has posted these on YouTube and her Flickr account with some historical details which are linked here. These photos show various family members and friends in front of The Colonial, which is in fine form with lovely little awnings at the windows, beautiful brickwork, the unusual detailing of the porch and the balcony in full view. It really is a different building without the overgrown ivy of today. I have a few of these posted below, but you can check her sites for the rest of them.
The Province, Dec. 19th, 1914. Courtesy of newspapers.com
Robert (Bob) and Florence Mattocks were both born in the Westmoreland region of England, but actually met in Vancouver around 1910. Bob had emigrated to Canada to work as a draftsman in his Uncle Thomas Mawson’s landscape architect office, located in Vancouver at 470 Granville St. (The Rogers Building). (By coincidence, this is right next door to the open mic at Trees Cafe that I’ve been frequenting as a musician for the past couple of years.) Among other projects, he and his cousin helped his uncle create designs for Stanley Park. In 1914, the City of Vancouver ran a contest for a new design for a civic centre. Theodore Kerzer and Bob took first place; Theodore as designer, and Bob as draftsman. The winning design was using the old courthouse site at the time and laying it out as a town garden. The geometrics of the design look stunning.
Florence had moved to North Vancouver with her widowed mother and sisters and worked as a school teacher. Although I don’t believe Bob lived at the Colonial, the couple courted while Florence lived there and Bob took a number of wonderful photographs of Florence in front of the building in the first couple years after it was built. Here are a few below that he took, courtesy of their granddaughter, B. Mattocks. There is also one photograph of Bob, himself.
Bob also taught at some point at Ridgeway school and, after returning to England, worked as a city planner so successfully that he was honoured in his obituaries as one of England’s best planners.
As mentioned above, Florence (neé Florence Mary Punch) had moved to the Vancouver area with her widowered mother and sisters and lived at the Colonial. Bob and Florence got married in the UK after they returned following the outbreak of WW1.
Some of the other residents include:
* James Hinton, realtor
*Herbert Cecil Victor Hall, realtor
*Chas M Conley, PGE conductor
*Mrs. Kath Griesbach (she became proprietor of the Colonial in 1930 after her mother, Anna Dierssen, passed away in 1929.
*Elizabeth Lowther, school nurse
*John H. Thompson, surveyor
*C. Gerlitz, Machinist Burrard Dry Dock
*John Harvey, accountant Peat Marwick
An interesting footnote to the story of Florence, is her connection to another honoured North Vancouver citizen, Mollie Nye. Florence Mary (Punch) Mattocks was Mollie’s Aunt and Mollie was named after her. Mollie was actually a nickname; her full name was Florence Mary Nye. Mollie was an active contributor to her community, like her father and grandfather before her. Born and raised in Lynn Valley by a pioneer family, Mollie lived for most of her life in what is now called “Mollie Nye House”, which is now run by the Lynn Valley Services Society as a small community centre.
Mollie had a long teaching career, teaching in BC schools for 40 years. After starting her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in Golden, BC, she moved back to North Vancouver and taught in various schools including Queen Mary, Capilano and Sutherland. It was estimated she taught over 2000 students during her time as a teacher. She also sponsored Red Cross youth clubs where she taught, helping many children in need both at home and abroad. She received many accolades in her years in North Vancouver and left a lasting legacy.
Although not a Colonial resident, Marcus McDowell (1874-1959) lived two doors down, in the early 1920s, at 166 E. 10th Street. Marcus McDowell opened his landmark drugstore in the Beasley Block at 101 Lonsdale Ave (right up Lonsdale from John Dierssen’s Welcome Parlor which was at 65 Lonsdale) and ran it for 50 years. It was in operation from 1904-1973. The home he shared with his wife, Eva Grace McDowell (1887-1982) is a heritage landmark on Grand Blvd. You can read more about it on Historic Places here. Marcus was also a keen gardener and won horticulture prizes.
St. Andrew’s Church on the far right across St. George’s St., 164 E. 10th and 166 E. 10th houses, the Colonial to their left and another home just to the Colonial’s left. You can see the stairs of another home at the edge of the frame. All the houses to the left of the Colonial are long gone.
Photo courtesy of MONOVA Museum of North Vancouver and Archives ref. # 23
166 E. 10th Street, built in 1907, is also known as Robertson House, after Frank Wycliff Robertson, a marine architect who built this house and a twin of the house speculatively. (Its twin has long since been demolished). Robertson built the house in 1907 and it, along with 164 E. 10th St.and The Colonial, are part of a cluster of historic E. 10th buildings. 166 E. 10th is on the CNV Heritage register with a B ranking. It is one of the oldest homes left in the area. This block, along with a number of homes in the 200 and 300 block of E. 10th Street, make up a Heritage Character Area as identified by the City of North Vancouver. Being a character area means that there are guidelines put out by the city when it comes to potential development.
I spent three weeks researching this and had a lot of help from Jennifer Clay, and yet I feel I barely scratched the surface of how this building connects people and their stories with many strands in a web across North Vancouver’s past. It likely has only a few degrees of separation to many of today’s North Shore residents. But what’s to become of it? At present, its condition is troubling for a building with such striking architecture and one which holds so much history. I wonder what the next few years holds for it and for the houses next to it on the block. These three buildings are the last bastions of this block’s past. I believe, as a building recognized by the CNV on its Heritage Register, that this one deserves to be protected.
Fun Facts
#1
Although not confirmed, the resemblance is striking: This is thought to be a photo of Mollie Nye, according to her grand-niece, B. Mattocks. Photo by Robert Mattocks, courtesy of B. Mattocks.
#2
John Dierssen senior seemed to be a music lover as he was advertising Colonial suites with pianos and had a violin collection which included two Stradivarius violins. He put them up for sale near the end of his life. One Stradivarius is advertised as from 1713 and there was another ad which had one for sale for 1731. I wonder what happened to these remarkable instruments?
From the North Shore Press, Dec. 21. 1923, courtesy of newspapers.com
#3 Mrs. Griesbach, the Dierssen’s daughter who took over as proprietor after both her parents had passed away, picked raspberries from her garden in December of 1932! I wonder if the garden was on the property or she had one elsewhere in the neighbourhood, as there were plots at the time at Victoria Park across the way.
The North Shore Press, Dec. 6, 1932. Courtesy of newspapers.com
SOURCES:
Monova North Vancouver Museum and Archives monova
newspapers.com ( The Express,