Look up right in front of you at the Evergreen Hotel, a five-story concrete building with a strong, symmetrical block shape, topped by a striking red Spanish tile roof.
In 1927, Vancouver locals were tired of lacking a high-quality social hub, so they took matters into their own hands. Talk about grassroots grit! Four hundred and thirty five everyday citizens pooled their own money, buying shares to fund this Italian Renaissance style marvel, a design featuring the grand, symmetrical elements inspired by the palaces of fifteenth-century Italy. This massive crowdfunding spirit proved that when this community wanted a premier gathering place, they fought for it and built it from the ground up.
When it opened on March 17, 1928, the mayor literally declared a public holiday. Police cleared Main Street of traffic so thousands could pack the sidewalks. Inside, the hotel boasted sixty five modern sleeping rooms and a geometric hard maple floor that was widely considered the finest dance floor in town.
But the absolute highlight was the dedication ceremony. You remember the intense, sometimes deadly pioneer clashes we talked about earlier with the British Hudson's Bay Company? Well, time heals all wounds. In a wildly ironic twist, the streetlights outside were turned off, plunging the crowd into a canyon of darkness. Then, using what was the longest trans-continental telegraph cable of its time, the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company pulled a lever all the way over in London, England. In a flash, Vancouver's new downtown electric lights blazed to life, officially opening the hotel.
For decades, this place was the city's commercial heartbeat. It was also home to Robert Kimbrough's shoe shine and repair business. Before the World War Two shipyard boom brought thousands of new workers, Kimbrough was one of the very few verified African American residents in a predominantly white city, making his shop a vital and respected community fixture.
The hotel eventually declined and was condemned in the late seventies, but local owners stepped in to rescue and restore the structure. Today, it serves as retirement housing, though local history guides still love sharing eerie legends about its past. Let us keep exploring. Head down the street, and in about seven minutes we will find another architectural marvel, the Elks Building.
