Lee Building

175 East Broadway Ave. (at Main St.) in Vancouver, B.C. 

 100 YEAR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ON JULY 15, 2012

The Lee Building is the 7-story heritage building which my grandfather, Herbert Lee, built. The stonework on the south side reads 'Lee Building 1912'. My grandparents and father (and later my older brother) lived on the top floor for many years. Herbert was a merchant who owned a grocery store on that property in 1908.  There is tremendous heritage in the Lee Building and that area as the Mount Pleasant area was the hub of activity and commerce south of the Fraser for many years and, as the plaque states, the 7-story building was the tallest building south of the Fraser River. When it was built only the Hotel Vancouver was taller (that's on the north side of the river).  

The Lee Building contains many wonderful features such as one of the original elevators which today is unused as it has been for many years, blocked off but visible from the main hall. Gorgeous copper walls, ceiling and an antique chandelier adorn the elevator. The hallway marble floors and walls are beautiful and the structure of steel pillars encased in concrete is very sound & earthquake-proof. The stairs are made of marble also and the view from the rooftop is amazing. The view down the staircase from the top is quite beautiful. Apartments and businesses occupy the building. There is a large wall photo up the stairs from the main hallway of the building. This photo was taken about 1916. The south sidewalk corridor was created in or after 1952 as a sidewalk needed to be established when Broadway was widened. I've been told that is the only building in Vancouver with an overhang like this. There are bus lines and a street lamp connected directly to the building as it is right against the roadway.

Unfortunately, our (myself and two older brothers) grandfather, Herbert Lee, lost the Lee Building to the bank during the depression. The crash caused the bank to foreclose and reclaim the building, but my grandparents, father and oldest brother were allowed to remain living on the top floor throughout the 30's and 40's. My grandparents and other family members are buried at Mountainview Cemetary and I have provided the cemetary with a family photo for their records. See their Herbert Lee page.

The building is currently owned by over thirty people.  There was a billboard on top of the building for many years as part of the landmark. The building has come a long way and is a very important part of the history of Vancouver. The building manager takes great care in the building and I am grateful for that. The history of this area and building is fascinating and I am very glad it is being so well kept. Thank you owners!

I have researched my Lee family history back to England and Ireland and the trail has been relatively easy with archived records. Pam, in Isle of Wight, England, did some research for me re: Isle of Wight and we've now taken the history back one more generation to records of the 1700's. Bob, in Eastbourne, did research for me also. Thanks! In checking out Google Earth some of the addresses still exist, which I knew some would, though they are newer buildings.  I have connected with family relatives and have more yet to do. I've begun the Ireland connection and some helpful people have given me the next steps in the search. It's been wonderful. The next steps are going to be best done with myself in England and Ireland. I'm looking forward to the trip.

From a 1937 newspaper article about Herbert (after his death):

'In the death of Mr. Lee, Vancouver loses one of its pioneer business men and city builders.... In 1903 he bought a store and grocery business at 2425 Main Street, and by 1911 he succeeded in building the seven-storey business office and apartment block situated at the northwest corner of Main and Broadway, and known ever since as the Lee Building.  An old issue of 'The Western Call' edited at that time by H. H. Stevens, described Mr. Lee as a business man who practiced sound principles, fair treatment, and sound business methods.  He took an active interest in the affairs of the city.  He was a leading member of the executive of the Liberal Association, and was president and one of the founders of the Maple Leaf Lacrosse Club in 1908.  Later with P. Muldoon and Harry Pickering he organized the Vancouver Lacrosse Club in 1920.  In later years Mr. Lee engaged in the wholesale produce business and devoted a good deal of his time in managing the building which bears his name, but in recent years helived a more retired life.  Surviving are his wife, one son, Leonard James [my father]; four brothers, S. J. Lee, Roy and Mervin, in Seattle; Percy of this city; and four sisters, Mrs. A. L. Mckay, of Hong Kong; Mrs. T. Barrie, Mrs. A. Steele, and Mrs. F. J. Crocker in Vancouver.'

Other interesting info. I found in newspaper articles at the Van. Archives was the court case around us losing the building to the Royal Bank of Canada.  From what I can get from the info. we lost the building due to an amount of $12,000 where my grandfather had put $240,000 into the building.  I wanted to find more detailed information but a search at the Van. law library turned up nothing.  I have the judge and lawyers names but there is no record of the case.  I plan to go to BC Archives in Victoria to continue my research.

I read about the situation and I feel so very sorry for him that because of such a small amount at $12G we lost the building that he had built and had since 1912.  Interesting also is that he passed away in October of 1937 and the court case was in November.  Therefore it seems he was in the midst of the legal proceedings when he passed away.  That is very sad.  My father has now also passed away and so I am not able to ask him anything about this new information.  Just piecing things together myself.  I have a friend who told me that if it was a residence that the court would never have allowed the bank to take it.  I really wish I knew more about the situation at the time.  If anyone reading this (maybe a lawyer?) can shed some more light on this I'd be more than willing to give you the info in the other 4 newspaper articles about the court case.

Photos - there are great photos at the Vancouver Public Library Special Collections.  Links to come soon.

Residential Stories

On the show 'The Express' (link above) Doris Kirstiuk is intervewed.  She was a resident of the Lee Building for 45 years and having celebrated her 99th birthday earlier this year she is actually older than the Lee Building! 

Sample of story from a resident of the Lee Building: ".... my grandmother lived there in the 50's and early 60's and we visited her there every summer. She lived on the 7th floor. I remember being pretty bored, so much so that I would stare out the windows and count taxis. But I also rememeber that she emptied her garbage down a chute, and I was thrilled as a child to be able to do that chore. I also remember when there were elevator operators, people who adjusted that elevator up and down until it was level and ready to unload, or load. Later the elevators became automatic. One morning as we exited the elevator on the main floor, I saw a man lying on the stairs. I was so worried, but was told that he was just 'a drunk'. So life was in downtown Vancouver.... The light switches in her apartment were round and you pushed them in, the bathtub was a glorious claw footed contraption. She had a murphy bed....the other big memory of Nana's place was that it had a HUGE sign on the roof (we used to go up there sometimes) that said "Read the Sun". I assume the controversy today isn't over that sign; it was lit up at night I think. As we drove home, my sister & I would try to catch glimpses of the big red sign..." 

Thank you,  Keep them coming in! I have found out things about my grandparents I didn't know previously. Thank you all for filling in pieces of history!

In the gathering of information from various sources and pulling the planning together I've found Vancouver Archives, BC Heritage Society, Van. Public Library and City of Vancouver employees to be ever so helpful!  Thank you! More to come very soon!

Family - Relatives

If you are a descendant of our great-grandparents, James and Elizabeth Lee, or of the Parker family please contact me. I have connected with relatives from Seattle, Phoenix, Washington and also in Surrey. Dare Steele, from Victoria, has been a wonderful joy to connect with.  Adele Stapleton, a cousin from the Parker side, is doing a fabulous job with the family history. I may do the Ancestry.com family tree online to hopefully get more current people per 4 below.   

There is a relative in WA going to look into the 3 Lee brothers who relocated to Seattle.  As far as the Vancouver area members I have this to add: after additional research I have come to latest generations of newly-researched members - the following people:

1. James Frederick Douglas (through Crocker & back to Ethel Lee) (last notation on his Mom's death cert. in 1986, lived in Coquitlam) - and he has 3 siblings - Pauline and 2 others - where are they now?

2. Soye/Saye? Barrie (wife of Edward Barrie & back to Amy Lee) (last notation on Edward's death cert. in 1975, lived in North Vancouver) - where is she now?

3. Barbara Lamothe (Barbara S. Lee) (back to Percy Lee) (she died in Santa Cruz in 1996) - does she has any children & who was her Lamothe husband?

4. Eileen Steele (back to Albert Steele married to Vera Lee), passed away in Oct. 2010 - Daughter is Dare Steele, and she has a son, Justin.  There is a Diane Steele out there somewhere who is related.  Diane then married a 'Tyson' so we are looking for Diane Tyson (maybe still in Burnaby or on Van. Island?) I believe.

Hopefully I will be able to make contact with the remaining relatives from these listed.  I list them now so that if they or someone they know are doing an internet search for/of them they can come across their name on my website please contact me.  I wish to connect with them for the following reasons:

1. connect & let them know any of their family history they may be missing

2. see how much they know of other relatives going back in time - fill in pieces of history, and

3. see if they have any photos or memorabilia of our relatives of long ago