Strathcona, Vancouver

524 Keefer Street

In the city directories 1915–1955.

In 1915 the directory names Edward Bradley here. In 1925 it printed only “Chinese” at this door; ten years on it names W Fong. In 1940 the name section gives this address for Ernest T Palmer, on active service; Fong Wing; and Mike Zurivloff, a sectionman (page 478, page 668, page 682; joined to the 1940 listing, where the first name or initials agree, inferred). It is also listed as a building of suites or rooms (1940).

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: 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945. The book reads the other 14 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.

Who lived here

Read every ten years. Each chapter is one surname at this address across the directories, so it can be more than one family; tap a name for its directory page, or follow the name to every address it's printed at. After 1945 the directories' names aren't shown.

  1. Not in the directory
    1905
  2. I1915
  3. II
    “Chinese”printed instead of names
    1925
  4. III1935
  5. IV
    4 listings4 listings
    1940
  6. V1945
  7. VI1955

A ribbon marks the chapters the book adds to: everyone the directory's name section lists at this address that year, with their work, and the page behind every line. See what it holds, or quote this house.

1909
permit to build a frame apartment house; the City's record says 1905
3
households named, 1915–1945
Still standing
today, by the City's records

The address

A permit to build a frame apartment house at 524–526 Keefer was taken out in April 1909 by E Beadley: builder J W McClelland, $4,000. After the Fong household, in 1940 it is a building of suites or rooms, with 4 listings. By 1945 a household is listed here, H Chow.

Where the directory printed “Chinese” or “Orientals”, its canvassers wrote a group label in place of the residents' names; we show what was printed, and the names it never recorded we can't give.

The 1955 directory, past the last year whose names we show, prints the work of the three households there: a pedlar.

The block around it

In 1925 this was one of seven doors on the block where the directory printed “Chinese” instead of names, between the Bradley and Fong households here.

Since 1955

  1. 1997–2024Licensed as an apartment house (licences on record start in 1997).

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.

Today

524 Keefer Street still has a building from before 1946, as does 522 next door; its permit is from 1909, and the City's assessment record gives 1905 as its year built.

The Wong Wing Fong family on Keefer Street
1914 The Wong Wing Fong family on Keefer Street. Not at this house: no archive photo of the 500 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, 2021-034.288, photo by Yucho Chow Studio. Public domain.
The lot at 524 Keefer Street on the 1912 fire insurance map
524 Keefer Street on Goad's 1912 map. At 524, the 1912 map draws one wood-frame building numbered 524 and 526. Goad's Fire Insurance Map, 1912, georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The circle marks the address.
Keefer StFalse CreekBurrard InletSTRATHCONADOWNTOWNMain StClark DrTerminal AvePowell StClose
524 Keefer Street today: the red dot, on the 500 block of Keefer Street in Strathcona. Beside this: the whole city, with the map above boxed in red. Today's streets, shoreline, parks and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The neighbours

The 500 block of Keefer Street, door by door, the way the directory prints it. This house is marked in red; pick a year to read who lived at every door.

Keefer Street, the 500 blockas the 1905 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1915 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1925 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1935 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1940 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1945 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1955 directory lists it, door by door, and what stands there today

*: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935)

South side, even numbers

  1. 510Tennant AndwYeoman JExcelsior Apts rooms*Excelsior Apt +1Excelsior Rooms & AptsExcelsior Roomsgone
  2. 514Chinese MissionGoldberg —vacantvacantGoldberg J (whse)Lions Gate Moving & Stge +1stands
  3. 518Kellberg EricMandleman J*Mandleman J*Babaval J*Babaval J*a household · rooms to letstands
  4. 522Rudd Hans“Chinese”Johnson ELundvall ELundvall Ea householdstands
  5. 524Bradley Edw“Chinese”Fong WWing Fong +3Chow Ha household · pedlar +2stands
  6. 526Wallings Morley Avacant“Orientals”not listednot listednot listedstands
  7. 532“Chinese”“Chinese”Glowsky SGlowsky SLum Fon*a householdstands
  8. 536Mohrman Oscar“Chinese”“Orientals”“Orientals”Jang Kee Shew*a householdrebuilt
  9. 542Cima PietroCima P*Cima P*Zagar M“Orientals”*a householdstands
  10. 546“Chinese”“Orientals”“Orientals”“Orientals”*a householdstands
  11. 548“Chinese”“Orientals” +1Sam H +1Sam H +1*a householdrebuilt
  12. 558Keefer Rooms +1Keefer Lodge +8Keefer Lodge rooms +1Keefer LodgeKeefer Lodge roomsa household +3rebuilt
  13. 560Ganter Cvacantnot listednot listednot listedgone
  14. 564a household +1rebuilt
  15. 568Lawrence Jennie“Chinese”“Orientals”Hong JSun Lok Moya householdrebuilt
Who stayed on the 500 block: of the addresses with a named household in both directories, how many still had the same surname ten years on. A filled house kept its family.

The record

Each directory's listing for this address, as printed, with its page at the Vancouver Public Library. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).

1905

Not in the directory this year.

Henderson's City of Vancouver Directory

1915

No job on this line: the 1915 directory prints work in its name section, under Bradley (near p. 55).

Henderson's Greater Vancouver City Directory, p. 99

1925
  • “Chinese” printed instead of names

The directory printed “Chinese” here instead of names.

Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, p. 72

1935

No job on this line: the 1935 directory prints work in its name section, under Fong (near p. 203).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 88

1940

The directory printed “Orientals” here instead of names.

No job on this line: the 1940 directory prints work in its name section, under Wing (near p. 668), Palmer (near p. 475) and Zurivloff (near p. 681).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 93

1945

No job on this line: the 1945 directory prints work in its name section, under Chow (near p. 118).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 85

1955
  • a household · pedlar
  • 1a household
  • 2a household

3 listings. Names of residents after 1945 aren't shown; businesses and buildings are.

Vancouver and New Westminster City Directory, p. 131

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.

524 Keefer Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the city directories from 1915 to 1955. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1905 as the year built.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/524-keefer, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 524 Keefer Street

The history of

524Keefer Street

Strathcona, 1915–1955

A PDF to keep, print or give

The book of 524 Keefer Street

What the book adds to this page

This page, free

  • Who the street section lists here, 1915–1945
  • The neighbours door by door, one year at a time
  • An archive photo of Keefer Street
  • The lot on the 1912 fire insurance map
  • The building today, and each year's page at the library

The book adds

  • Each resident's work and employer, line by line from the directories' name section, and three people it lists here that the street section leaves out
  • Its four named households as chapters, told in our words
  • The 500 block in all seven directories at once, every door
  • The page behind every line, both sections, listed at the back
  • One book, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give

Its contents

  1. The house
  2. Plate I, Keefer Street in an archive photo1914
  3. IBradley, with everyone the name section lists1915
  4. II“Chinese”1925
  5. IIIFong, with everyone the name section lists1935
  6. IV4 listings, with everyone the name section lists1940
  7. VChow, with everyone the name section lists1945
  8. After 19451955
  9. The 500 block, decade by decade1905–1955
  10. Plate II, the 1912 fire insurance map1912
  11. The house today
  12. Sources, page by page
$29

expected, a house

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a house.

The City Archives search records for $25 a year searched: $150 for the 6 years this house is listed. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.

See what one holds: 620 Keefer Street, 2649 Quebec Street or 2339 Yew Street, each a house's book.

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, 1905–1955, street sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each year in the record 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. Building permit: Heritage Vancouver Society's transcription of the City's permit registers, 1901–1930 (Historical Vancouver Building Permits; search it for this address). The photo of Keefer Street: City of Vancouver Archives, public domain, credited under it. Filed under this address at the City of Vancouver Archives: [524 Keefer Street], Mar. 1974 (CVA 1095-02533; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives). Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.