By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The nearly 130 year old Fairview Jail has officially been reopened after a months-long restoration effort returned the historic building to its former glory.
A plan to repaint the structure last year unveiled serious dry rot issues that threatened the survival of one of the few last remaining structures from the boom town of Fairview. This then led to an urgent fundraising appeal by the Oliver and District Heritage Society (ODHS) as it sought community support for the restoration of the building earlier this year.
The former BC Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police station dates from 1896 and was originally located three kilometres west of the current Town of Oliver at the site of the former gold mining town of Fairview.
The restored Fairview Jail being celebrated recently.
Don Urquhart photo
Vance Potter, President of the Oliver District Historic Heritage Society, expressed his delight at the reopening of the iconic jail at an event on Sept. 11. Potter explained that the structure was built around 1896 “proudly serving as a functioning jailhouse to the former gold mining Townsite of Fairview, in due course, outlasting the demise of the townsite itself.”
“Little is known about the particular occupants of the jail, but no doubt it’s dark and drafty interior saw many temporary residents drying out from too much ale and whiskey consumed at the townsites’ five hotels’ saloon, including the Hotel Fairview and the locally known “bucket of blood,” also known as the Golden Gate Hotel.”
The restoration effort represents the preservation of this “oldest, externally unmodified, remaining building structure In the greater Oliver area,” he highlighted.
Vance Potter, President of the Oliver District Historic Heritage Society regaled the assembled crowd with snippets from the past.
Don Urquhart photo
In 1981 volunteers from the fledgling ODHS moved the structure to the grounds of the Oliver Museum on School Avenue and embarked on a program of careful conservation. In 2021 the ODHS successfully petitioned the Town of Oliver to grant heritage designation to the jailhouse.
“In late 2024 plans for the regular refresh of the jail’s coat of paint ground to an unceremonious halt when it was realized that major conservation work was required to the aging timbers of the jail work which, if not completed, threatened the very survival of this venerable structure,” Potter said.
The ODHS then secured the assistance of Mark Daigle, a skilled retired local joiner who had previously worked on other heritage-sensitive projects for the ODHS and elsewhere. His assessment of the extent of the work required meant the heritage society had no choice but to turn to the local community to raise the $15,000 cost of the conservation project.
Celebrating the reopening of the historical exhibit.
Don Urquhart photo
Potter paid tribute to the Oliver branch of Kiwanis which provided the lion’s share of funding, Larry and Janet Shannon, Fairview Electric and many other individual and corporate donors, large and small, that enabled the restoration work to proceed.
“It shows the community’s will to keep it here,” observed an appreciative Darren Halsted, Executive Director of the Oliver & District Heritage Society.
An online fundraising campaign to raise the needed $15,000 was kicked off on Canada Helps, titled “Historic Gold Mining Town of Fairview BC- 1896 Jail Refurbishment” raised as of today, a total of nearly $12,000. The ODHS is still seeking donations to reach the full amount.
“Mark and other local skilled trades people have lovingly repaired the age challenged structure, returning it now to a condition approaching its former glory,” Potter added.
A prisoner’s cell in the old Fairview Jail.
Don Urquhart photo
The work included replacing the timber structure at the foundation which required jacking up the entire structure. Siding that was rotting also needed replacing, a job made all the more challenging from a heritage perspective because of different styles of siding used on the building. This involved milling each replacement piece by hand.
And of course as the work proceeded new problems were uncovered, such as the fact the windows lintels also needed replacing.
The former Townsite of Fairview serviced a number of gold mines between about 1890 to 1910, before falling gold prices saw the decline of the town. In its heyday Fairview boasted over 500 residents, many houses, hotels including the famed Hotel Fairview, schools, stores, and churches.
Portions of structures from the mining town were relocated to prominent locations within Oliver, including Main Street. The museum also houses various relics of the mining days of Fairview and nearby Camp McKinney.
The Oliver and District Heritage Society is a not-for-profit charity incorporated in 1980, initially as the Oliver Heritage Society, with a mission to preserve the historical structures and heritage of the South Okanagan community of Oliver.
Fundraising is ongoing and donations can be made online at it’s Canada Helps funding page.
