Description of Historic Place

83 Broadway Street is a one-storey hipped-roof cottage located on the north side of Broadway Street in Nakusp, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

83 Broadway Street is valued for its association with William Moseley, an Englishman who arrived in British Columbia in 1905, going first to Fernie and then to Burton. In 1924 Mr. Moseley acquired eight lots on Broadway Street. He had them cleared, and then constructed several hothouses for a commercial nursery. The house was built for Moseley in 1925 by Joe Crowell and his brother. Moseley was respected as an expert horticulturalist. He was also active in the community, helping to start the Co-Op and assisting with the annual Nakusp Fall Fair.

83 Broadway Street is also valued for its cottage architecture and its design elements. The house is a hipped-roof cottage with a half-width front porch and a central pedimented entry. An oval arch accents the entry and the porch is decorated with a balustrade and spindle work. There is a bay on the west façade. The windows are double-hung except for the large front picture window, which has 16 lights above the three main panes.

The design of the house combines Edwardian cottage style with elements of a Queen Anne Revival Victorian cottage. Although this is a late example of these styles, the design is not unusual for the West Kootenays where earlier styles persisted for several decades beyond their popularity in other British Columbia towns. The overall effect of the house set in its extensive gardens is one of an "essential Englishness." The house is also notable for its use of recycled construction materials from the late-Victorian ghost town of Phoenix, from which Moseley retrieved two railcar loads of building materials.

83 Broadway Street is further valued for its contribution to the historical continuity of the Broadway streetscape. The house and grounds, relatively unaltered since 1925, evoke an era when residences were located on the main street near the town's commercial centre.

Source: Village of Nakusp Municipal Office, 91-1st Street NW, Nakusp, B.C. V0G 1R0

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of 83 Broadway Street include its:
-one-storey scale and massing
-mature gardens and ornamental trees
-porch and archway
-decorative balustrades and spindle work
-double-hung windows
-picture windows with multiple lights
-bay projection
-hipped roof