Rossland is a small enough town that it's possible to walk to all of its historic sites in an afternoon. Being in mountain country, any that are off main street will require some climbing, so you can also drive the course, if you so choose.
We'll start at the Rossland Courthouse a beautiful 102 year old granite and brick building.
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From there we'll go a block east to Sacred Heart Catholic Church at N 49° 04.612 W 117° 47.644.
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Then it's up the hill to The Drill Hall behind the courthouse at N 49° 04.661 W 117° 47.722.
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From there we head west two blocks to the old firehall, (
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From there we'll go down Columbia Avenue, which is essentially Main Street, starting with the Montreal Hotel (The OK Store) at N 49° 04.618 W 117° 47.820.
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Right across the street is the old Velvet Hotel at N 49° 04.604 W 117° 47.822.
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Continuing west down Columbia we come to first the Wallace Building at N 49° 04.604 W 117° 47.852, (
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Right next door is the old Bank of Toronto building at N 49° 04.606 W 117° 47.890.
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Crossing the street to the north side, we find the Jordon Block at N 49° 04.621 W 117° 47.881. (
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Right beside it, on the east side is the Lalonde & Rodier Block at N 49° 04.620 W 117° 47.867. (
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Then we go west across Queen Street and stop at the Post Office at N 49° 04.624 W 117° 47.914. (
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Continuing west, we find the original Bank of Montreal building at the end of the block at N 49° 04.626 W 117° 47.995. (
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Around the corner on Washington Sreet are, from north to south, the Bodega Hotel, (
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From here, let's go a couple of blocks up Washington Street to the Bellevue Hotel at N 49° 04.761 W 117° 47.981. (
visit link) AKA The Flying Steamshovel, this place has a really interesting history. No one would hold it against you if you decided to pause for a cool one here.
Across Washington Street you'll find Munn's Bakery, now Idgie's Restaurante, at N 49° 04.763 W 117° 48.001. (
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Now we hike north a few blocks for a real treat - The West Kootenay Power & Light Substation at N 49° 04.912 W 117° 48.184. (
visit link) This is the original substation that fed electricity to the mines of the area in the 1800s, now revamped as a private residence.
Back down Washington Street to Columbia, we stop at the Hunter Brothers Store at N 49° 04.627 W 117° 48.022, (
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Continuing west on Columbia, we encounter the Burns building on the south side at N 49° 04.613 W 117° 48.037 (
visit link) then, another couple of blocks further west, past city hall, we come to what may be the oldest remaining building in town, on the south side of Columbia.
This would be the Lemon Block, built in 1895, at N 49° 04.619 W 117° 48.179. (
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Across the street and slightly east, the ungainly looking three storey building is the Kamloops Mining and Drilling Co. building, built about 1896, at N 49° 04.634 W 117° 48.161. (
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One more short block brings us to The Miners' Hall, built in 1898, at N 49° 04.623 W 117° 48.259 (
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We haven't seen all the historic buildings in town, but we hit the highlights. The folks at the museum are able to supply you with information on the rest of the town, if you so desire.
To end our tour, we continue west out to the highway, and right across it we see the Rossland Historical Museum at N 49 4.74 W 117 48.95.
The museum is located on the site of the Le Roi Mine, the largest, best known and most productive mine of the area. Just go inside and they will tell you all you could possibly want to know about the mines, the town, and their history. It's quite a story, so sit down and get comfortable. And enjoy!!!