Baker House Debate: 0050.0885

NO DECISION ON HISTORIC HOUSE -

            The old Colonel Baker residence won’t be torn down without a lot of debate.

            Cranbrook city council discussed the house, located at the Southeast corner of Baker Park on First St. S. again last night but a decision  on its future was postponed.

            The East Kootenay Society for the Handicapped wants the house, where the family court is now located, torn down to make way for an adult handicapped workshop.

            The soundness of the house’s foundation is uncertain and the court facility will be moving out of it in the near future, but council will weigh this against its historical value.

            Last week council resolved to ask the East Kootenay Historical Society and a suitable contractor for appraisals of the possibility of restoring it.

            It has been suggested that the house be made a museum and the tourist facilities presently in Baker Park be moved out to accommodate a senior citizens’ park

            “That building shouldn’t be torn down in any circumstances,” said alderman Alex Demchuk who missed the previous meeting and discussion.

            “There is real historic value there,” he said.

            The house was once the home of Colonel Baker who founded Cranbrook and is supposed to be one of the first buildings on the site of the present city. But Mayor Ty Colgur put a damper on Demchuks enthusiasm “The consideration is how much money” it would take to renovate it, he said.

            But the Mayor said the city should suggest alternate sites for the handicapped workshop. A site already suggested in Balment Park doesn’t fit in with councils plan for that area, he said.

            “With the plans we have for Balment Park, there isn’t room for anything except what we’ve planned.”

            But he suggested there were other sites that may be more appropriate.

            He said a senior citizen park for Baker Park was also in the city’s plans with the tourist facilities moving to Elizabeth Lake south of the city.

            Colgur said the city parks department has plans to start the conversion of Baker Park and Elizabeth Lake last year but were delayed by cuts in the city budget.

            The mayor appreciates the society’s concern and the necessity of finding a workshop site quickly “but we just can’t jump to a decision and destroy an historical site,” he said.

0050.0885: Baker House Debate

Ongoing debate over tearing down old Colonel Baker residence or turning it into a historical site.

Medium:  Newspaper - Text
Date:  November 26, 1975
Pages:  1
Publisher:  Daily Townsman
Collection:  Columbia Basin Institute (0050)

Keywords:

historic house residence city council handicapped family court foundation society contractor appraisal restoring museum tourist facilities senior citizens park alderman mayor

Subjects:

People arrow Baker, Jamesarrow
People arrow Demchukarrow
People arrow Colgurarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Buildings arrow Baker Housearrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Parks, Monuments arrow Baker Parkarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Parks, Monuments arrow Balment Parkarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Parks, Monuments arrow Tourist Parkarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Street Names arrow 1st Street Sarrow
Associations arrow East Kootenay Historical Societyarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Services arrow Museumsarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Governance arrow Counsellorsarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Governance arrow Mayorsarrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Development arrow Elizabeth Lakearrow
Cities arrow Cranbrook arrow Governance arrow Councilarrow
Physical Features arrow Lakes arrow Elizabeth Lakearrow

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