Powell Building, 12 Des Voeux Road Central [????-????] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Powell Building, 12 Des Voeux Road Central [????-????]

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Submitted by David on Wed, 2012-03-28 12:48
Current condition: 
Demolished / No longer exists

It was between the Bank of East Asia and the Exchange Building / Lane Crawford House.

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1865
1887
1911
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Comments

Submitted by Old timer on Thu, 2012-07-26 22:05.
The building was called Powell Building, and occupied byWilliam Powell, draper

Submitted by David on Mon, 2012-08-20 11:21.

Thanks for that - I've updated the name.

Page 10 of The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1933-03-13 reported "Powell's Building Partly Gutted". Extracts:

[...] As it was the greater portion of the rear of Powell's Building, occupied by offices and the store and workshop of the Hongkong Electric Company, was completely gutted, and damage, not yet assessed, but expected to reach a considerable figure, was caused.

[...] Water was obtained from every available source and jets played on the burning building from every vantage point - from Messrs. Lane Crawford's, the upper flooors and fire escape of the Exchange Building, from the roof of St. Francis Hotel and from the alleys running beside the building.

[...] The building is one of the oldest in the vicinity.

It's not clear whether the building was used again, but I guess not as the report above talks of the roof collapsing.

Regards, David

Submitted by Old timer on Thu, 2012-09-20 21:58.

The building was purchased by The Hongkong Land Investment and Agency Company Limited ( now known as Hongkong Land) afterwards who redeveloped it into Windsor House. The building was completed shortly before the occupation years. Regards

Submitted by annelisec on Thu, 2016-08-18 08:45.

Can we add ML 2C to the title ?

 

Owners:

Wo Tae 1861
Lee Shing 1881
Lee Fuk Cheong  
Lee Chit  
Hong Kong Land April 1900
A.S.Watson December 1900
Hong Kong Land 1910
Hong Kong Hotel 1922
William Powell 1924
Hong Kong Land 1928

Submitted by David on Thu, 2016-08-18 12:19.

Hi Annelise,

Lot numbers are a bit esoteric for the general reader but are great for research, so just mentioning them in the notes or comments is fine. No need to go back and add them to titles.

Regards, David

Submitted by David on Thu, 2016-08-18 12:26.

From page 1, The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1922-03-20:

HONGKONG HOTEL CO.
Purchases Powell's Building.

We learn that the Hongkong Hotel Co. Ltd., has purchased the building at present occupied by Messrs. Wm. Powell, Ltd. The price is not disclosed.

It will be recalled that the Hotel Company recently secured a controlling interest in Messrs. Powell’s.