Bellevue Hotel

The Bellevue Hotel building holds the distinction of being the only remaining hotel started in Rossland’s boom days that remains in operation as a hotel, although owners have changed many times. In Rossland’s early days, the Bellevue, renamed the C.P.R. and later the Orwell, was known as one of the finer hotels, equipped with all the modern luxuries. Being located across the street from the C.P.R. train, the Bellevue was known to fill with locals returning from work trips, with some regulars even said to have their own beer steins on the premises! The hotel is currently called the Flying Steamshovel, in reference to a local inventor, Lou Gagnon, who – according to legend – built a flying contraption from old mining equipment and performed a test flight off a nearby building. Some even argue that Gagnon’s flight should be recognized as man’s first sustained flight, as the event is said to have occurred in 1901. As such, alongside the strictly historical heritage of the building, the Bellevue further represents important legends and lore for the citizens of Rossland.

Bellevue Hotel is a substantial, flat-roofed, frame building located on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Washington Street. Viewed from the north, it has a two-story appearance with no visible basement; but from the south and west, due to the steep slope of the lots, the building appears to have more than three full floors. It is the only hotel built during the boom years in Rossland that still operates as a hotel today. The Bellevue met the Fire Escape Regulations as it had several staircases that ran between the floors, and all the rooms had a window for “fresh air”. In 1897, a dancing pavilion adjoined the Bellevue Hotel, which created a place for entertainment for guests of the hotel and others who were seeking entertainment.

The Bellevue Hotel was constructed in the spring of 1897, on the southeastern corner of the intersection of Washington Street and Second Avenue. The building was owned by W. H. Bell, who also held the hotel license. In 1897, it is noted that the rooms were furnished with new and attractive furnishings and carpets and had all the modern conveniences of electric lights, hot and cold baths, electric bells, etc.

The hotel has held many different names throughout the years. In 1899 it was known as the C.P.R., but when the railway station was built across the street this name was a problem because it was not one of the hotels the company had built across Canada. Therefore, in 1901 the name was changed back to The Bellevue Hotel and remained that way for two years until Nelson W. Macleod bought it in 1903 and renamed it The Orwell. In 1922, Agnes Holmes bought the hotel, and she along with Joe Grafton ran the business, which continued to be a popular destination for visitors and locals.

In 1992, the hotel was renamed to the Flying Steamshovel, in homage to a Rossland inventor who, according to legend, constructed a flying machine in 1901.

For more information:

• Rossland Heritage Commission Official Heritage Register - Buildings: Bellevue Hotel

• The Flying Steamshovel Pub - History Page

• Historic Places Canada: Bellevue Hotel

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