History

McCarty House was aptly named after its first proprietor, Florence (Frank) McCarty. Originally from Wisconsin, Frank and his wife Mary moved to Revelstoke in 1883, following the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) construction, which was moving Westward across the continent. Frank quickly established himself as a prominent businessman in the Revelstoke community. His enterprises included a boarding house, butcher shop, cold storage business, livery business and steam laundry, in addition to interests in mining and a steam boat company - The SS Revelstoke. The community realised that Mr. McCarty was no slacker and in 1899, when the city of Revelstoke was incorporated, Frank was inaugurated as Revelstoke’s first Mayor.

Following his big victory, Frank contracted builder John Kernaghan to construct his new home, choosing a site that would enable him to view his business interests from the second floor. The house was designed in Queen Anne Revival style.

This architectural aesthetic was developed in Britain due to a renewed interest in architecture of the late medieval period. It was introduced to North America in the late 19th century, but quickly adapted (and slightly morphed) to become more suitable to its new environment. Now, if we want to get really specific, McCarty House is technically classified as being built in the Western Canadian Queen Anne style. Between the 1880s and World War 1, BC grew exponentially, in both wealth and population: gold, timber, coal and railway construction were the main drivers. With this new money, came new houses. Architects and builders from England and the East Coast made their way out west, bringing with them en vogue designs - i.e. the Queen Anne Revival trend. This was quickly paired down to suit a more simple, Western Canadian lifestyle. While the houses were less ornate, they maintained many key features of Queen Anne Revival, including an asymmetrical facade, a dominant front facing gable, overhanging eaves, a corner tower (otherwise known as a turret), second story balconies, textured shingles and ‘gingerbread’ ornamentation.

Since Frank McCarty’s days, the property has gone through many reincarnations. From private residence to a boarding house, staff accommodation, gift shop, dress store, to its current state as The Copeland.