Stone Block

Tourism Rossland/Dave Heath - September 12, 2019

1895 was the start of a construction boom in Rossland, the result of the mining boom in the area. Downtown buildings spread from the west to the east. The Stone Block building was built in 1897 and is one of the 5 buildings remaining downtown from the pre-1900s as well as one of the 23 historical buildings never lost to devastating fires in the early 1900s. In 1898 the building was owned by W.M. Newton and Aurther Hickling, and the property was assessed to be worth $3,200 (in 2020 $s, this would be $99,894), and the building worth $3000 ($93,651 in 2020); this was one of the most expensive on the block, barring the Velvet Block that was worth a similar amount. In 1901, Hickling withdrew from the partnership. 

In the early 1900s, the Bank of Toronto ran in this building, but the exact years are not known. In 1920, Mr. Penny established a clothing store in the premises, and in 1929, Dr. MacDonald, a dentist, opened his office on the main floor of the building. In the 1930s, a restaurant owned by Bob Stevens operated here, and Dr. MacDonald moved his office to the upper floor around this time. C.S. Williams Clinic opened in the building on the main and second floor and remained until 1967. From July 1970 to around 1985, Jim Dunlop ran Jim’s Radio and T.V. out of the building. In 2007, the building was bought by Anthony and Courtney Jewitt, and for eight years RossVegas Board Shop ran out of this building.

 
 

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