Some of the fascinating things that come from researching a particular building and the businesses, residents or events that occurred in it are the connections, stories and linkages that come to light. These are things that are not necessarily hidden but sit just below the surface, waiting to be discovered.
The Westminster Building at the corner of Begbie at Columbia, an early city landmark and skyscraper, is such a structure as is the property it sits on. The Westminster Building, formerly the Westminster Trust Building, was constructed in 1912, and by 1913 it was the very busy location of many city offices and companies as well the Westminster Club.
Prior to 1912 this site held some small structures housing a blacksmith, stores and a few houses.
Right next to the site of the new building were imposing structures with ground floor shops and meeting rooms for two fraternal groups: the Masons and Oddfellows above. Those two imposing buildings are still there today at Lorne and Columbia.
Before 1898, when the city's Great Fire wiped out the downtown's buildings, the Westminster Building site was home to a number of smaller buildings, including the old Customs' House, then a private home with some fruit trees in the yard.
When this was the operating Customs House, it certainly held a dominant position in the downtown area as it was an important government building, just one block from the waterfront, proclaiming the role of the Crown. The building was light coloured with a darker trim and a double-doored entrance facing the main street.
The lot was fenced with a gate at the front and a "welcome" sign over it. A broad wooden sidewalk fronted the gate. The grounds included shrubs, a garden and a flagpole.
The face of the Customs House itself had an identifying sign over its doors, a coat of arms above this and on either side the letters V and R for Victoria Regina. Its position of power and authority was clearly displayed.
As we move on in time, to the decades of the 1900s and so on, the Westminster Building continued as a very prominent business site, home over these years to a "who's who" of well-known companies and names.
The building also maintained its landmark role even though it had been joined by many other tall buildings and in the photos of Columbia Street the "Trust Block" continued to stand out.
If you are interested in these various views and stories from the 100 years of the Westminster Building, be sure to come along to the Historical Society evening on Wednesday, March 20 at 7: 30 p.m., at the New Westminster Public Library, where a presentation on the building's history will take place.
Watch for a Westminster Club history and walking tour later in the year that will also focus on this building.
