Rossland - American Courthouses

Rossland is named for Ross Thompson, who was a miner who staked a claim in 1890.

Surrounding Courthouses:

N – Nelson and Castlegar

E – Creston

S – Washington State

W – Grand Forks

Location: Rossland is located in the south central part of the Province.

Judicial District: Kootenay Judicial District

Judicial Centre: Rossland

Courthouse – Rossland

Location: 2288 Columbia Avenue / Monte Christo Street

Built: 1898 – 1901

Style: Classical Revival / Romanesque

Architect: John James Bastion Honeyman of Glasgow, Scotland

Contractor: James Lawn and the Public Works Department

Description: The building faces south and is a two story buff coloured brick and concrete structure. The building sits on the side of a hill with landscaped grounds in the centre of Rossland. Constructed of buff coloured brick over a stone basement, the building’s distinctive design incorporates projecting tower sections on all four corners, three of which are crowned by steep tile-clad pyramidal roofs. The south front has a central arched entrance with large arched window for the large courtroom on the second story. In the interior, the hallways run north-south. There are timber beam ceilings and stained glass windows and there is the Provincial Court courtroom along the west side of the first story and a lounge area on the southwest. Wood stairs ascend to the second story where the large Court of King’s Bench courtroom is located on the southeast side. The courtroom has a high timber ceiling, dark wood work, stained glass windows and a gallery located at the rear. The building houses the Supreme Court and the Provincial Court. W MacKenzie and J Hagan were the masons during construction. The building was renovated in 1981.

History: The first courthouse, a hewn log building was erected in Rossland in 1894 at 2060 Columbia Avenue. The second courthouse was built in 1895 and located on the north sides of Columbia Avenue up against the rock bluff. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1898 to 1901 at a cost of $53,000.

Kootenay Judicial District Courthouses:

Castlegar, Cranbrook, Creston, Fernie, Golden, Greenwood, Grand Forks, Kaslo, Nakusp and Nelson