Ellis Block - Kamloops, BC
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 50° 40.536 W 120° 19.926
10U E 688494 N 5617147
This 1914 brick and stone was the most elegant business block in the city when built. Time has not done much to tarnish its reputation for elegance. It was built by local contractors Johnston & Gill using bricks of their own making.
Waymark Code: WMMCKA
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/31/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member monkeys4ever
Views: 1
Download this waymark:
.GPX File
.LOC File
.KML File (Google Earth)

Ellis Block

371 Victoria Street - 1914

This is one of Kamloops' finest downtown brick business blocks. It was built in 1914 by G. W. and R. Godman as an office and commercial building. A few years previous, the Ellis family had moved to Kamloops from San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. The father, W. J. Ellis, opened a garage and machine shop on Lorne Street which remained in operation until 1982. One of the sons, W.O. Ellis, became a pharmacist and in 1917 formed a partnership with A. Galloway. They opened an office and pharmacy on the ground floor of the Godmans' block.

The Galloway-Ellis Drugstore continued in operation on this site under various owners until 1994. The name of the business block was changed to the Ellis Block in 1951 when W.O. Ellis bought the building.

This block was built by Kamloops contractors Johnston & Gill using their own signature bricks. It is a two-storey building with basement. On the east side, the main entrance is flanked by two large granite Doric columns. Step back to appreciate the brick frieze and ornamental parapet along the top edge of the building.
From the history plaque at the site
Ellis Block Ellis Block
Ellis Block Ellis Block
Group that erected the marker: City of Kamloops

Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
371 Victoria Street
Kamloops, BC Canada
V2C 2A5

URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Signs of History
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.