Gulley Block - Greenwood, BC
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 49° 05.263 W 118° 40.646
11U E 377526 N 5438561
Originally a commercial block, this building now houses the library, the Greenwood Legion Branch the Kettle River Art Club, a community hall and more. It is the last building on the east side of the south end of Copper Street.
Waymark Code: WMHZRJ
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/02/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member MrsMcFly
Views: 2

In 1941 the population of the City of Greenwood had dwindled to 200, from a peak of over 3,000 in the "teens", shortly before the closing of its lifeblood industry, a copper/gold smelter. When the smelter closed in 1918, the population immediately plunged, and the city narrowly avoided becoming a ghost town.

When the Japanese were being forcibly relocated, the City of Greenwood realized that this may be a blessing in disguise - an opportunity to inject new life into its economy. Accordingly, the city invited the internees to Greenwood, an invitation that was accepted by about 1100 people, more than sextupling the city's population.

A goodly number of the old and abandoned buildings in the city had been acquired by the city and were still standing and still useable, and were pressed into service as dormitories, schools, bath houses and more to house the new citizens.

It is a testament to the quality and humanity of the efforts put forth by the city that many of the internees decided to remain in Greenwood after the war, thereby helping to avert another brush with death for the city.

This building, the Gulley Block, was designated Internment Building #3. It is located on the east side of Copper Street (AKA Highway 3), the last building on the south end of downtown Greenwood. It now houses the library, the Kettle River Art Club and the Legion.

Here is the text from the plaque on this building:

GULLEY BLOCK
INTERNMENT BUILDING #3

After Thomas Gulley purchased this building in 1916, for the next eleven years he sold furniture, carpets and linoleum on the main floor while operating a funeral parlor and embalming service in the basement. Thus it became known as the Gulley Block, even though it was built in 1902 as the Russell, Law and Canfield Dry Goods store.

Like many other buildings in Greenwood, when the smelter closed, the Gulley Block was abandoned and taken over by the City. The floor was cluttered with debris, and the basement funeral parlour had several remnants from its working days. In 1942 it became Building No. 3 for Japanese Canadians. Thoroughly cleaned, cubicles were then put in for family rooms and renovations made for a communal kitchen and bathhouse.

After the war and years of internment ended, Mayor W. E. McArthur and the Greenwood Community Association took on the task of turning the Gulley Block into a community centre. In 1957 they began with a theatre on the Copper Street level, which was profitable until television made its début. At the same time the south side of the building was turned into a library and Women's Institute Hall.

As part of the 1967 Centennial, federal funding allowed renovation upstairs for a community hall, named the Centennial Hall. Downstairs was transformed into the Community Hall. The hall received a new oak floor in 1976. McArthur Centre is now the hub of community activities and home to the Legion, library and the Kettle River Art Club.
Group that erected the marker: City of Greenwood Historical Society

Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
346 South Copper Street
Greenwood, BC Canada
V0H 1J0


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.