The Nakusp Museum would like to invite you on a walk through the commercial region of Broadway Street in anticipation of Heritage Week (Feb. 18-24).
Starting with What’s Brewing on Broadway... it was originally built in 1926 as Morrison’s Pool Hall and Barbershop and is a late example of a false-fronted building giving it the impression of being larger.
Moving on to Bon Marche, built in 1897, it began as Pat Burns Butcher Shop and was one of the original buildings on Broadway. Mrs Herridge bought the business in 1910 and named it Bon Marche.
The buildings where you now find Re-Awakening Health Centre and Prima Materia were built in 1922. When Lewis Edwards lost his waterfront office due to fire, he built this block to house his insurance business, telephone office and drug store. An overhang still protects pedestrians from winter snow.
Nakusp General Store was built two years later in 1924. This was a former ice cream parlour, Red and White Grocery and butcher shop along with living quarters in the rear.
Cut Rite Meats was built in 1943 and a typical curved facade for 40s garages reveals this former Esso Station’s true lineage which was also a Greyhound depot. As a very young girl, I remember that after the bus from Nelson disembarked the passengers, a few of us young ones were allowed to board the bus and go for a short ride around the block with the driver to where he parked the bus for the night. Fun times in a small town!
True North Forestry was built in 1933 and was originally called the Pine Lodge. It served as a rooming house for new young school teachers.
Next door the old Moseley home, built in 1924, was used to operate a nursery. Currently it is a bakery and tea house offering drive through coffee in the alley.
Spicer Farm was established in 1897 and was originally owned by the Genelle family who started Nakusp’s first saw mill in 1893. Sam Henry, a rich Chinese man expanded it into a market garden and later it was a dairy owned by the Buesnell brothers. Chris Spicer bought it next and his daughter runs it today even after most of the good land was flooded out in 1968.
Moving onto Nakusp waterfront. The creation of the Keenleyside Dam flooded our commercial waterfront, railway train station, government wharf, mills, motels, houses etc, so BC Hydro constructed the new walkway.
The Leland Hotel was built in 1892 and is considered the oldest operating hotel in B.C. made of wood!
Nakusp Library and Museum was built in 1912 and was originally Nakusp’s third school and then ultimately a high school with out buildings.
Recently the Historical Society has embarked on a substantial addition to the building to house the archives, a permanent home to preserve the history of our area. The Museum will use one room of this addition as a new exhibit room. We hope to raise enough funds this spring that we can add to the Archives Raise the Roof building fund to help with the project.
Historical material from Arrow Lakes Historical Society.