1401 Government Street

BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH FREEMASONS IN GREATER VICTORIA

The E.G. Prior building at 1401 Government Street and 606-614 Johnson Street was built in 1888 by architect Leonard Trimen Buttress for Edward G. Prior, a member of Victoria-Columbia Lodge No. 1, who used it for his E.G. Prior & Company hardware store.

The building is currently divided into one commercial strata unit on the main floor with 18 residential strata units on the upper floors.

The E.G. Prior Building was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Here is a map showing the location of 1401 Government Street:

Here is a Google Street View image of 1401 Government Street / 606-614 Johnson Street:

A Brief History of the E.G. Prior Building

The E.G. Prior building at 1401 Government Street and 606-614 Johnson Street was built in 1888 by architect Leonard Trimen Buttress for Edward G. Prior, who used it for his E.G. Prior & Company hardware store.

Edward Gawlor Prior (1853-1920) was prominent in B.C. business and politics. Apart from his E.G. Prior & Co. hardware business, he served in the B.C. Legislature in 1886-88 and as Victoria’s Member of Parliament between 1888 and 1902. In March 1902 he returned to provincial politics, serving as Minister of Mines and, briefly, as Premier of B.C. between November 1902 and March 1903. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. in 1919 and served until his death 1920.

In 1928, the E.G. Prior & Co. was purchased by a leading competitor, McLennan, McFeely & Co., commonly known at the time as “Mac & Mac”, which had its Victoria store directly across the street at 1450 Government Street, where the MEC is located now.

Here are links to some historic photographs of this building:

• BC Archives photo D-00690 – the Beacon Hill Streetcar, circa 1892, with 1401 Government Street in the background.
• BC Archives photo I-02368 – as the Diggon-Hibben store, 1951. photographer: Duncan Macphail
• City of Victoria Archives photo M01352 – 1961, as Wilson Stationers

This building has been converted to a mixed use commercial/residential strata, with one commercial strata unit on the main floor and 18 residential strata (condominium) units on the upper floors.

The Prior Building was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2003.

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