1898 – Post Office & Customs, Inland Revenue, Victoria, British Columbia

On a prominent location on the harbour. Extended in 1908 and 1914. A devastating fire started in the top floors of the Post Office and Customs House on January 18, 1937, damaging portions of the 1898 building. Repairs were made and postal service returned to normal within a day. Demolished in 1955.

“This building is being constructed on a plot of land bounded by Government, Courtney, Wharf and Humboldt streets. The outside walls are to be built of grey cretaceous sandstone from Gabriola Island, on a_ basement of granite, the partitions of the basement and ground floor to be brick, and the remaining partition, as well as the floors and roof, of wood, the roof covering to be of copper. There is to be a main portion, 136 ft. by 75 ft., having three full storeys, a basement and a mansard, and also an L-shaped annex of one storey and basement, having frontages of 107 feet and 103 feet on Courtney and Wharf streets respectively.

The main building is to be apportioned as follows :— The basement to the heating apparatus, fuel, stores, water closets, etc.; the ground floor to the local post office ; the first floor to the customs and finance; the second floor to the Inland Revenue and post office inspector’s office, and the finished portion of the attic to the caretaker for a residence.
The annex will consist of a portion 75 feet by 26 feet, devoted to stores, a portion 109 ft. by 38 ft. for a bonded warehouse, and, in rear of the warehouse, a one-storey drive-way 30 ft. by 29 ft. The drive-way is 13 ft. wide, paved with granite, and leads from Humboldt street to the yard. Seven fire proof vaults are to be provided for the use of the several departments occupying the buildThe building will be heated throughout by hot water direct heating.

Plans, specifications, and details for all the works, including fittings, heating, etc., were prepared by the Chief Architect of the Department of Public Works, Mr. Thos. Fuller, and the work is being carried out under the supervision of F. C. Gamble, departmental resident engineer at Victoria, B. C. The contractors for the construction of the building are Messrs. Elford Smith, Victoria, B. C., the fittings and heating not yet being contracted for.”
Canadian Architect and Builder, July 1986

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