Description of Historic Place

1201-1211 Main Street is a vernacular Boomtown facade commercial building, located in downtown Smithers, British Columbia, at the corner of Second Avenue and Main Street. The historic place includes the two-storey building and the adjacent, connected one-storey building beside it.

Heritage Value

This central location on Main Street was specifically selected by druggist J. Mason Adams, who first pitched a tent on the site before constructing the two-storey building, which was completed in 1913. The smaller building (right,1211 Main) was Smithers' first post office and Adams was its first postmaster (1913-1927). 1211 Main Street remained the primary post office until the 1950s. The main building (1201) was a drug store until 1960, after which it became Central Square Clothing until 2008. This building has aesthetic value, retaining much of its original character and design. It has historic and social-cultural value as one of Smithers' oldest remaining buildings, due to its Main Street location and its longstanding connection to retail and health.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of 1201 Main Street include:

- Vernacular Boomtown facade with staggered descending roofline towards the rear
- Flat roof below roofline
- Raised square detailing at roofline corners
- Second-storey windows: 2 at front and four along Second Avenue side with sloped wood strutted decorative awnings
- Lower-level wood shake canopy extending over entryway (1960s)

The character-defining elements of 1211 Main Street include:

- Physical connection to 1201 Main Street
- Single story with flat roof