H. Byers and Co. - Nelson, BC - 1902
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T0SHEA
N 49° 29.546 W 117° 17.576
11U E 478786 N 5482240
This ad, by H. Byers & Co., was placed in the February 22, 1902 edition of The Nelson Tribune.
Waymark Code: WMHQ0W
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/02/2013
Views: 3
Though Byers & Company never states the location of their store in their ads (they must have been sufficiently well known at the time as to preclude the necessity), it is known that their hardware store was located in the Clement-Hillyer Block until it was taken over by Wood-Vallance Hardware in 1904. Examination of the store front in the B&W picture below reveals the name
H. BYERS & Co HARDWARE on the awning.
Contemporarily, the date on this building is 1904 and it's known as the Wood Vallance Hardware Building, neither of which is, strictly speaking, correct. The photo below is of the building as originally built, pre 1904.
The date is actually the date of Reconstruction. 1904 was the year that Wood-Vallance purchased the building.
The building was built in 1896 as the Clement-Hillyer Block by the owners, A. Clement and C. Hillyer. In 1904 the exterior was almost completely redone, completely changing its appearance. Prior to this the ground floor was occupied by H. Byers Hardware on the east side and Jacob Dover Jeweler on the west side. It is located at 593 Baker Street, on the northwest corner of Baker and Josephine Streets. This was the first brick block to be built in Nelson, presumably of local bricks from the newly built brick factory.
It has now taken its place as a Nelson Heritage Building among the many others along historic Baker Street.
From Nelson: A Proposal for Urban Heritage Conservation (ISBN 0-7719-8381-6):
The Clement and Hillyer Block [was] constructed in 1896 and remodelled as the Wood Vallance Hardware Store in 1904. The Clement and Hillyer Building was the first brick block to be constructed in Nelson. Although the exact details of its construction are not known, the flamboyance of the design and the stylish handling of building materials point to the structure's significance. Exhibiting an unrestrained confidence in the civic economy, the front and side facades of the block are rich in decorative details and dynamic appeal.
The two owners of the building were local businessmen. Charles Hillyer was a building contractor and by 7897 A. H. Clement had become Treasurer for the City of Nelson. Since Alexander. C. Ewart maintained an office on the second floor, it is likely that the Clement Hillyer Block is an early showpiece of his design capability.
