Burnes House (1886) & Beaver Building (1882)

516 Bastion Square

Architect. John Teague
Restoration: Peterson & Lester

This handsome, three-storey, brick building and the adjoining old Beaver Building, built earlier in 1882, were both the property of hotelier Thomas J. Burnes. Burnes erected one of Victoria's earliest luxury hotels to serve successful gold miners and English remittance men. It is a very typical High Victorian building; its strong verticality is emphasized by the paired, narrow ground floor windows and the second and third storey oriels overlooking the square. It stands rather uncomfortably beneath a bold bracketed Italianate cornice. The building cost Burnes $20,000 and served as a fashionable hotel close to such public amenities as the Court House, Customs House, H.B.C. warehouses, and waterfront. In 1967, under the direction of architects Peterson and Lester, the exterior of Burnes House was restored and the interior was redeveloped into a charming series of multi-level specialty shops, and later, offices.