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Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Now & Then: Mount Pleasant's Depencier House in 1958 and 2020

It's housed a restaurant of some kind for a long time now, but it's also been home to a brothel, candy company, and shoe repair in the last century.
John Bentley - Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Now & Then
depencier-house
The building at 151 E 8th Ave in Vancouver, as seen in 1958 and 2020John Bentley/Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Now & Then and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Archives

Here's a look at the Mount Pleasant building known as the Depencier House in 1958 and 2020.

This Edwardian-style house, at 151 E 8th Ave, built around 1894, is regarded as the oldest currently occupied single-family residence outside of the downtown core.

It has gone through many incarnations, including a brothel, candy company, shoe repair, and restaurant. 

In August 2023, the bottom right retail space is home to a barbershop, while to its left, the restaurant space is being renovated; most recently home to a sandwich shop called Side Hustle, the new leaseholder is a Mexican restaurant called La Cantina de Don Porfirio. The 2020 photo shows the tenant prior, Eight ½ Restaurant Lounge.

depencier-house
The building at 151 E 8th Ave in Vancouver, as seen in 1958 and 2020. John Bentley/Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Now & Then and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Archives

John Bentley is an architectural photographer who has photographed the inside and outside of thousands of buildings around Vancouver. Using images from the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Archives he offers a glimpse of the past and present on his site .