Turn of the century timber buildings in Gastown

The Leckie Building
Built 1908-1913
Heavy Timber Construction

"Built in two sections, the west section in 1908 and the eastern addition added in 1913, the Leckie building was built for the J. Leckie Company, a leading manufacturer of boots and shoes. It is an excellent example of heavy timber construction, typically used in early Gastown buildings.

Leckie became synonymous with good shoes and boots – ‘Leckies’ were a must and were worn by both loggers and the fashion-conscious. The J. Leckie Company was major supplier of boots to the Canadian Armed Forces serving in both the First and Second World wars.

The building was renovated in 1991 and won a City of Vancouver Heritage Award for the structural upgrading. The steel rods, which run diagonally from the ground floor windows to the top storey, are part of the innovative seismic upgrading system. They are tied to anchors which extend 90 feet into the ground."
-www.gastownblog.com-


The Malkin Building
Built: 1907-1912
Heavy Timber Construction

"William Harold Malkin left the prairies in 1895 to join his brother Fred here in Vancouver. With a background in merchandising, he soon got a job working for Osmund Skrine Wholesale produce merchants. In 1897 Harold and his brother bought the company and changed the name to W.H. Malkin & Co. Wholesale Grocers, Tea Blenders and Coffee Roasters. The company went on to add preserves, pickles and import spices to their product line and quickly become one of Vancouver’s most important import businesses. Malkin products could be found in every household as well as in the packs of prospectors heading for the Klondike.

In 1907, the Malkin brothers started construction on this massive brick and timber warehouse to meet the growing demand of their business which prospered from the mining boom in the Kootenays and the Klondike Gold Rush. The Western half of the building was constructed in 1907, the Eastern half in 1912. The simple façade and heavy cornice are typical of Parr and Fee’s solidly-built, no-nonsense commercial buildings.