New Grand Hotel
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The New Grand Hotel is a three-part, squarely massed structure with a centre four-storey tower and two flanking two-storey wings on Vernon Street in the downtown area of Nelson, B.C.
HERITAGE VALUE
The New Grand Hotel is important for its aesthetics, as a longstanding local landmark and gathering place, and for its history as part of high-end and early accommodations in the region.
Originally constructed as a wooden building, the mix of time frames and styles of the present hotel include the center 1914 block, a squarely massed, four-storey symmetrical brick structure, constructed with the modern conveniences of the time including hot and cold water, radiators and telephone. A new addition in 1939 reflects the rounded corners and flat roof of the Moderne style, while the southern 1959 addition is constructed of reinforced concrete.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, the hotel was known as the Lord Nelson Hotel, but the original name was returned during recent renovations. Despite the additions and renovations, the New Grand Hotel remains a local landmark and a symbol of Nelson’s reputation for high-end accommodation at the turn of the century.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Site and setting
·Location of structure along Vernon Street
Building and materials
·Variations in building massing of the three parts
·Variations in the design style of each part
·Stylistic details including rounded building corners, roof brackets and masonry columns
From Historic Places Canada