Description of Historic Place

The 530 First Avenue Building is a small Boomtown style building located on the west side of the main commercial street in Ladysmith, British Columbia. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Heritage Value

Built around 1900, the 530 First Avenue Building is an excellent example of a simple vernacular Boomtown or false-front style structure. Until the erection of more sophisticated brick buildings in this area over the next few decades, Ladysmith’s first commercial buildings were typically wood framed and clad, and false-fronted. Boomtown fronts made buildings appear more substantial and provided a convenient area for signage, while large windows at the ground level provided space for the display of goods. This otherwise modest building is embellished by a relatively ornate cornice.

The one-storey 530 First Avenue Building stands out as the smallest building on this city block. Shorter and narrower than any of its neighbours, the building contributes significant visual interest for its unique scale and style. Several similar buildings are scattered throughout the commercial area, although this is the only one on this particular block.

Symbolizing Ladysmith’s very earliest commercial development, the 530 First Avenue Building has been in continuous use for over a century and adds significantly to the heritage character of the street.

Source: Town of Ladysmith, Development Services Department, File #6800-40h

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the 530 First Avenue Building include:
- all of the elements of its vernacular Boomtown architecture as expressed in the wood siding, Boomtown false-front facade, cornice and simple single door and window arrangement
- the building’s small scale, simple form and massing
- the building’s location within a group of historic commercial buildings on the town’s main commercial street
- continuous commercial use