One thousand nine hundred and nine Will be chronicled in the history of Nelson as the year of the opening of great buildings. Since Jan. 1 the new court house, the public school building and the Methodist church have all been formally inaugurated and about May 1 the splendid new Eagles' hall will be opened. In addition to these it is anticipated that the proposed Y. M. C. A. building will be erected at a cost of $30,000 will be ready for occupancy by next fall. The importance of these enterprises can only be fully realized when it is known that the aggregate cost of these five buildings will total nearly $350,000. There could be no greater proof of the rapid growth of Nelson and the steadily increasing importance of the capital or the Kootenays as a centre of business and as a place of residence.
The fourth of these buildings, the Eagles' hall, is now nearly completed. A representative of The Dally News was yesterday shown over the structure by J. E. Taylor, who has been acting as building manager for the Nelson lodge of the order under whose auspices and whose enterprise the hall has been built. The new building is constructed of brick trimmed with local granite, and is supported throughout with large iron pillars on brick foundations topped with stone. The exterior is of simple, yet effective appearance. The front of the building facing Baker street is of selected red brick pointed in red mortar. Over the centre of this end of the building is a gable In which will he the date of erection and which will be surmounted by an eagle, the emblem of the order.
The ground floor is given up wholly to a store which will be occupied by Meagher & Co. The inside measurements of this floor will be 116 by 50 feet. The entrance will be by outer doors of wood and inner doors of plate glass, 3 feet 6 inches by 7 feet. The floor in the rear of the store is raised some feet higher than the remainder, and will be used by Meagher & Co. as a millinery department and as offices, etc.
The lodge room of the Order of Eagles is on the second floor and is reached by a commodious stairway from an entrance to the east of the central door. Directly at the top of this stairway is a reception and banqueting room, 18 by 38 feet, This room it is intended, can be used also as a drawing room. At the rear are large dressing rooms for ladies.
Immediately to the right of the entrance to the banqueting ball are four ante rooms, two of which will be used by the Eagles and two by the Knights of Pythias who have rented the hall 48 by 23 feet in size in the front of the building. Over the staircase is a kitchen and pantry which will he fitted up with all the latest gas and electrical cooking apparatus and with a full compliment of pots and pans, plates and dishes and other culinary utensils.
The eagles' hall itself is reached by a short flight of stairs from the banquet hall. The dimensions are 34 by 62 feet. At the head of the room will be the grand worthy president's dais over which will be placed the emblem of quality. On his right will be the seat of the treasurer and on his left will sit the secretaries. Illuminated eagles operated from each chair by separate switches will be placed over the heads of all the officers. Over the position of the vice-president at the rear will be the sign of truth; liberty will be placed over the seat of the past worthy president on the left of the hall and on the right will be the chair of the chaplain surmounted by the emblem of justice.
The hall will he lighted by four large skylights and a double system of gas and electricity with fittings is a new design of brush brass, The floors are of maple. Along the sides of the lodge room will be placed opera chairs which, when out of use will be folded against the wall.
Arrangements are already in progress for a grand opening ceremony which will take place, at stated above, about May 1. On April 19, 20 and 21 will he held a sale of work, the proceeds of which will go towards the furnishing of the portions of the building which are given over to the Order of Eagles. Carrie & McKay were the architects and the building was carried out by John Burns...
Read on at The Daily News, Page 5