Banff Dave White Block
Posted by: 
GeoKs
N 51° 10.486 W 115° 34.256
11U E 599897 N 5670230
The oldest remaining commercial building on Banff Avenue, this block was constructed in 1908 and expanded in 1913. Street address is 103/105 Banff Avenue.
Waymark Code: WM6P1Z
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 06/29/2009
Views: 8
In 1886, Superintendent George Stewart surveyed Banff Avenue, the town's first street. At first, "boomtown" buildings - simple wood-frame structures concealed behind false fronts - lined both sides of what was to become Banff's main commercial street. By the early 1900's, more substantial buildings constructed of brick and stone replaced many of these structures. These improvements reflected Banff's mounting success as a visitor destination.
One of Banff Avenue's first merchants was David White (1864 - 1940). In 1885, White arrived in Banff and became a railway section foreman. He stayed on and, in 1894, opened a general store here called the Park Store. In 1908, a brick building with pressed tin ceilings (the southern half of the present building) replaced the "boomtown" Park Store. When the store was expanded in 1913, its facade was reconstructed to reflect an Edwardian commercial design. Renovated in 1996, the Dave White Block is the oldest remaining commercial building on Banff Avenue.
Type of Marker: Cultural
Sign Age: Historic Site or Building Marker
Parking: Street parking on Banff Avenue or nearby side streets
Placement agency: Banff Historical Corporation
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