652 Baker Street · Nelson, British Columbia
The Tremont Hotel, built 1891
The Tremont Hotel was built on Baker Street in Nelson, BC in 1891, a working man's hotel for miners and prospectors. Its west wing still stands, and Cartolina has been on its main floor since 2014. The restoration that uncovered its original 1891 interior earned it the City of Nelson's Heritage Building of the Year award in 2015.
A short history
-
1891
A hotel for miners and prospectors
The Tremont opens on Baker Street as a working man's hotel, built for the miners and prospectors coming through Nelson.
-
1914
The war years
The hotel flourishes until the First World War, when most of its patrons leave to fight.
-
The next century
Many lives
Business after business moves through the building: another hotel, a clothing store and three different Chinese restaurants. Each one adds a layer of wood panelling, dropped ceilings, fluorescent lights and carpet.
-
2014
The west wing becomes Cartolina
By now the original character is hidden beneath 120 years of renovations and general neglect. It was a disheartening sight.
-
2014 to 2016
Turning back the calendar
Over two years, thousands of pounds of material are carefully removed to reach the surfaces the architects specified in 1891. The pressed tin ceiling is uncovered, along with the original fir floors, brick walls, original doors and old shop fixtures.
Tobacco packets, Kootenay bottle caps, a key and a marble from Nelson's past.
-
2015
Heritage Building of the Year
The City of Nelson recognises the restoration with its Heritage Building of the Year award.
-
2019
The restoration continues
Work on the building carries on, uncovering more of the original Tremont.
The Tremont today
The main floor is home to the Cartolina shop and Cartolina's wholesale card business. Come and look up at the tin ceiling. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5:30pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.