Description of Historic Place

The Father Pat Monument is located on a sidewalk bump-out on the southwest corner of Columbia Avenue and Queen Street in Rossland, British Columbia, directly in front of 2071 Columbia Avenue. It is a massive drinking fountain, made of granite and marble with a base approximately 5' x 5' x 5' with a central obelisk rising above, for a total height of 14 feet.

Heritage Value

The Father Pat Monument honours Henry Irwin, an Anglican minister known affectionately as 'Father Pat', who served the community of Rossland from 1896 to 1899. It is valued because it perpetuates the memory of a man who was held in high esteem by all Rossland citizens for his tireless and caring efforts on their behalf. In early 1902, when news came back to Rossland of his death, a public subscription was immediately started and a committee formed to find the best way to recognize and honor Father Pat for his contributions to the community. The Rossland Miner newspaper provided coverage of all the deliberations and progress leading to the final decisions. The Monument was constructed in September of 1902.

Father Pat's humanitarianism is conveyed through four panels of inscriptions and the fact that the Monument itself is a drinking fountain, providing separate places for people, horses and dogs to drink. The Monument was designed by the Rossland architect J.J. Honeyman, and is distinctive in its use of Rossland granite and Kaslo marble - two West Kootenay mineral resources. Power was conveyed to the Monument and the four corner globe lights were electrified.

The Monument continues to be valued by Rosslanders. It has been moved twice because of development issues, first from its original location in the intersection of Columbia Avenue and Washington Street, then to Esling Park, and more recently back to Columbia Avenue where it is a prominent feature of the revitalized downtown.

Source: City of Rossland - Heritage Commission

Character-Defining Elements

Key character-defining elements of the Father Pat Monument include:

- size and height of structure
- building materials including West Kootenay granite and marble
- dog trough, horse trough and faucet
- corner globe lights, electrified
- inscriptions on granite slabs (originally marble)