Vancouver / Richards Street / Downtown

Downtown, Vancouver

518 Richards Street

In the 1940 city directory.

In 1940, 518 Richards Street is Merritt Gordon Hotel, with one household listed under it. Its name section lists three people here: Merritt G Gordon, proprietor of the Merritt Gordon Hotel and a president at Gordon Hotel Co Ltd; Mrs Gertrude A Gordon, a director at Gordon Hotel Co Ltd; and Sanford J Gordon, an engineer at the Merritt Gordon Hotel. It lists 61 more people here under other surnames too.

Reserve this house's book, freeIts history in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. Read for this address so far: 1940. The book reads the other 19 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.

64
people the 1940 directory lists here, 61 of them named in the book
Still standing
on the Heritage Register, category B
1909
the year built, by the City's record

In 1940

The street section

The household

  • Merritt G Gordonproprietor of the Merritt Gordon Hotel and a president at Gordon Hotel Co Ltd · householderp. 230

Also under the Gordon name

  • Mrs Gertrude A Gordona director at Gordon Hotel Co Ltd · lives herep. 230
  • Sanford J Gordonan engineer at the Merritt Gordon Hotel · lives herep. 230

Also at this address

  • 61 more peopleunder other surnames, with each one's work: in the book

Richards Street is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.

1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory

Streets

RICHARDS

  1. 518Merritt Gordon Hotelp. 141
  2. 518Gordon M Gp. 141

Names

  1. Gordon Merritt G prop Merritt Gordon Hotel and pres Gordon Hotel Co Ltd h518 Richardsp. 230
  2. Gordon Mrs Gertrude A dir Gordon Hotel Co Ltd r518 Richardsp. 230
  3. Gordon Sanford J eng Merritt Gordon Hotel r518 Richardsp. 230
The lines for 518 Richards Street in the 1940 directory, as we read them, with its abbreviations; each opens its page at the Vancouver Public Library. The name section prints h for a householder and r for someone who lives at the address.

The building today

518 Richards Street still has a building from before 1946, on the City's heritage register (category B), one of five on the block; the City's assessment record gives 1909 as its year built.

Since 1940

  1. 1997–2007Licensed as a hotel (licences on record start in 1997).
  2. 1998–2005Licensed as a restaurant or café.

From City of Vancouver open data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver): the property tax report (BC Assessment's years, approximate for old buildings), business licences from 1997 (the kind of business only), issued building permits from 2017 and the heritage register.

The 500 block of Richards Street on Goad's 1912 fire insurance map, with 518 marked
The 500 block of Richards Street, between West Pender and Dunsmuir Streets, on Goad's fire insurance map of 1912; the map may print the street under an older name. The ring marks 518, placed from the City's address point today (inferred). Georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The 500 block in 1940

Richards Street between West Pender and Dunsmuir Streets, Downtown: every door the 1940 directory lists on the block, the way it prints them, and what stands at each today. This house is marked in red.

Richards Street, the 500 blockas the 1940 directory lists it, door by door, and what stands there today

The 500 block of Richards Street

Quote this house

One line with its source, for a listing, a talk or a family tree. A link to this page shows the card below wherever it's shared.

518 Richards Street, Downtown, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1909 as the year built, and it is on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/518-richards, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 518 Richards Street

The book of 518 Richards Street

Every directory, as one book

The book reads this address in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: who lived here year by year, their work from the name sections, with the 61 people here in 1940 under other surnames whom this page doesn't name, the block around it, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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Sources

The 1940 city directory (British Columbia and Yukon Directory), street and name sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each line above links its page. Today's buildings: City of Vancouver Open Data (property tax report 2026, property addresses, Vancouver Heritage Register; Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The City's year built is BC Assessment's figure and can be approximate for old houses. The 1912 plate: Goad's Fire Insurance Map, georectified by the City of Vancouver. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.