1619 Store Street

Downtown Victoria Tour

Store Street– 1600 Block

1619 Store Street

This building at 1619 Store Street was built in 1898 by architect Thomas Hooper for Dennis Harris. It was originally part of a single building with the adjacent structure at 1623-1627 Store Street/505 Fisgard Street but the original building has new been legally divided into two sections: 1619 Store Street and 1623-1627 Store Street/505 Fisgard Street. The entire structure was formally recognized by the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995 and listed in 2009.

Here is a map showing the location of 1619 Store Street:

Here is a Google Street View image of 1619 Store Street:

Additional Information About 1619 Store Street

• Assessed Value (July 2019): $2,303,000; Land $1,086,000 Buildings $1,217,000
• Assessed Value (July 2018): $1,992,000; Land $981,000 Buildings $1,011,000
• Assessed Value (July 2017): $1,824,000; Land $927,000 Buildings $897,000
• Assessed Value (July 2016): $1,580,000; Land $882,000 Buildings $698,000
• Assessed Value (July 2015): $1,488,000; Land $760,000 Buildings $728,000
• Assessed Value (July 2014): $1,478,000; Land $718,000 Buildings $760,000
• Canadian Register of Historic Places – recognized in 1995; listed in 2009

A Brief History of 1619 Store Street

This building at 1619-1627 Store Street and 501-511 Fisgard Street was designed and built in 1898 by architect Thomas Hooper. The arches in the building’s facade are similar to other Thomas Hopper designs from the period, including the Vernon Block at 1000-1002 Government Street and the Earle Building, 534 Yates Street.

In August 1898 this building was sold by Dennis R. Harris for $7,000 to Lim Dat and Wong Soon Lim, who rented out the ground level as stores and the level as tenements. Architectural historians still refer to this building as the Lim Dat building.

In December 1909 Lim Dat sold the building to architect Francis Rattenbury for $32,500. Francis Rattenbury and successive owners maintained the use of the building as stores and tenements.

In December 1935, during the Depression, the City of Victoria took over the building for tax arrears. It was in the City’s hands for nearly four years. In October 1939 the City of Victoria sold the building for $2,500 to John Waters, who converted it into a machine shop called British Welders.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, this area gradually changed from a light industrial and warehouse district to a retail, office and commercial, entertainment and shopping area. As part of that trend, this building was converted from a machine shop into retail and office space.

The original 1898 building is now legally divided into two separate buildings: one at 1619 Store Street, the second at 1623-1627 Store Street/505 Fisgard Street.

The entire structure was formally recognized by the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995 and listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Here are links to some historic photographs of 1619 Store Street:

• City of Victoria Archives photo M09211 – circa 1900