The Langham is the only hotel built during Kaslo's boom years that has survived. In the interim it has been, among other things, a bank, a bottling works, and a lumber office, and presently serves as a museum and a cultural centre. During World War II it provided housing for interned Japanese-Canadian citizens. By the mid 1970s the building was derelict and in danger of demolition, but was rescued at the 11th hour and restored to its present splendor.
Through the Heritage Conservation Act it was designated a Provincial Heritage Site by the Province of British Columbia on June 30th, 1977. It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places on August 31st, 2012.
From the
Canadian Register:
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Langham Cultural Centre is a three-story Victorian style wooden building with ten dormer windows located on a corner lot on the major thoroughfare of downtown Kaslo, British Columbia.
HERITAGE VALUE
The value of this historic place lies in the continuous and integral role it has played in the cultural and social development of the community. The building has continuously evolved to meet the needs of the community, originally as a boarding house, then as a bank, a bottling works, and a lumber office, among other uses. Currently it is a cultural centre and museum.
This historic place is valued because it is the only hotel erected during the mining boom and bust era in Kaslo that still exists in its original form. It exemplifies the Victorian style of architecture at the time of its construction in 1896.
The Langham Cultural Centre stands as a monument to the Japanese Canadian internment that occurred between 1942 and 1946 in Kaslo. The Japanese Canadian Museum, located in the building, illustrates the significant social impact of the internment on the Village of Kaslo, the Kootenays and the Japanese Canadian (Nikkei) community during that time.
The Langham Cultural Centre also symbolizes the important historical and cultural values prevalent in Kaslo. In the early 1970s it was scheduled to be demolished, but a group of local citizens formed the Langham Cultural Society and restored the building. Today, the Langham Cultural Centre is also valued as a multimedia outlet for artists and performers.
Source: Village of Kaslo
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Langham Cultural Centre include:
¶ all historic materials dating to the time of construction, such as the original stained glass windows on the front and rear of building, the original central staircase, and the original interior door and window trim throughout the building
¶ all elements of the Victorian style of architecture, such as the ten dormer windows, the parapet front, rooftop cornice and gable-end detail
¶ three-story scale and massing
¶ presence of the Japanese Canadian Museum focusing on the Nikkei internees, including the room dedicated to the Konno family, a sleeping room replicating its condition circa 1941
¶ continuing display of documentation about the redress agreement that was signed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and National Association of Japanese Canadians president Art Miki on September 22, 1988
¶ use as a cultural centre