Downtown Victoria Tour

Quadra Street – 1600 Block

1600-1602 Quadra Street

This Heritage Registered building at 1600 Quadra Street / 1602 Quadra Street was built in 1912-13 for the First Congregational Church by the Seattle based architectural firm of Breseman & Durfee.

This building was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995.

It is now mixed commercial and residential strata (condominium) units.

1600 Quadra Street, built in 1912 by Seattle architects Breseman and Durfee for the Congregational Church. It is now a condominium development called The Palladian

1600 Quadra Street, built in 1912-13 by Seattle architects Breseman and Durfee for the Congregational Church. It is now a condominium development called The Palladian

Here is a map showing the location of 1600-1602 Quadra Street:

Here is a Google Street View image of 1600-1602 Quadra Street:

Additional Information About 1600 Quadra Street

In 2008 this building was converted into a 30 unit strata property called The Palladian, with one commercial strata unit at 1600 Quadra Street and 29 residential strata units (condominiums) at 1602 Quadra Street.

  • Assessed Value (2019) commercial strata at 1600 Quadra Street: $1,383,000;
  • Assessed Value (2018) commercial strata at 1600 Quadra Street: $1,320,000;
  • Assessed Value (2016) commercial strata at 1600 Quadra Street: $1,180,400;
  • Assessed Value (2016) 29 residential strata units at 1602 Quadra Street: $234,600 to $576,000;
  • Assessed Value (July 2015) commercial strata at 1600 Quadra Street: $1,179,800;
  • Assessed Value (July 2014) commercial strata at 1600 Quadra Street: $1,179,900;
  • Assessed Value (July 2015) 29 residential strata units at 1602 Quadra Street: $193,400 to $475,900;
  • Assessed Value (July 2014) 29 residential strata units at 1602 Quadra Street: $189,600 to $465,600
  • Canadian Register of Historic Places
  • Victoria Heritage Foundation

A Brief History of 1600 Quadra Street

Here are links to some historic photos of this building:

This Heritage Registered building at 1600 Quadra Street was built in 1912-13 for the First Congregational Church by the Seattle based architectural firm of Breseman & Durfee.

According to this 1912 architect’s drawing, it was originally designed with a large tower on top of the building.

1912 architect's drawing of the Congregational Church, as seen from Quadra Street. The building was built without the tower shown in this picture. (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)

1912 architect’s drawing of the Congregational Church, as seen from Quadra Street. The building was built without the tower shown in this picture. (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)

The First Congregational Church had been formed in Victoria in 1895. It had built a church in 1903, which it sold to partially finance this building in 1912.

The original building permit, issued to the Congregational Church by the City of Victoria in July 1912, describes a “new brick building, two storey” with an estimated construction cost of $45,000. The First Congregational Church still needed $18,000 to finance construction after the sale of its previous church building.

The cornerstone of this building was laid on 28 October, 1912 in a ceremony attended by the Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. and Victoria Mayor Beckwith. The building was consecrated on 3 April, 1913 with the consecration address given by Rev. W. J. Hindley, a Congregational Church minister and Mayor of Spokane, Washington.

The Contract Record and Engineering Review, published in Toronto, in September 1912 described the design of this building as:

“The front elevation of the proposed First Congregational Church…..is similar to the design of Emannuel church, Montreal, First Church Vancouver, the City Temple, London, England and Plymouth church, Seattle and shows a chaste example of classic architectural as adapted to church purposes by the English at the time of the Reformation. Leading from Quadra Street up the flight of stairs on either side of the main approach are located the three wide entrances of the main auditorium lobby. The classic collonade and belfry or cupola, typical of this style of architecture, lend added attractiveness.”

This building was used by the First Congregational Church until 1925, when the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches amalgamated to form the United Church of Canada.

Unification in 1925 left the newly formed United Church of Canada with three major church buildings within a a two block section of Quadra Street: the Metropolitan Methodist Church at 907 Pandora Avenue, the First Presbyterian Church at 1701 Quadra Street and this Congregational Church.

The United Church of Canada kept the church properties at 907 Pandora Avenue and 1701 Quadra Street operating as the Metropolitan United Church and First United Church but rented this building to the First Baptist Church until 1935, when the First Baptist Church purchased this building from the United Church of Canada for $20,000, with a $2,000 down payment and two mortgages, one for $10,000 and one for $8,000. The mortgages were paid off in 1941 and 1946, respectively.

The First Baptist Church owned this building until 1973, when it moved to its new location, two blocks north at 875 North Park Street, at the corner of Quadra Street and North Park Street.

After 1973, this building was used frequently as retail stores but it also sat vacant for many years.

In 2008 this building was converted in strata units, with one commercial strata unit at 1600 Quadra Street and 30 residential strata units (condominiums) at 1602 Quadra Street.

For more information about 1600 Quadra Street see:

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