Skip to content

Two former Summerland hotel buildings have been moved over the years

Transport of buildings is part of community’s history
23817602_web1_210114-SUM-Historic-hotel-SUMMERLAND_1
The Premier Hotel on Summerland’s Main Street and the taxi were owned by Bill and Lydia Johnston. Today, the building is Sass Fashions in Summerland. H.S. Kenyon, who moved the building to Summerland from Midway, continued with building construction. His family now operates Greyback Construction. (Photo courtesy of the Summerland Museum)

Two former hotel buildings in Summerland have moved over the years, one coming to the community and one being taken to Penticton.

Yes, the buildings themselves were uprooted and moved from one municipality to another.

In the 1920s, Bill and Lydia Johnston owned the Premier Hotel in Summerland and a taxi.

The building, on Summerland’s Main Street, was formerly the Crowell Hotel, located in Midway. In 1920, H.S. Kenyon moved the building to Summerland, where it became the Premier Hotel.

Later, the building became the Nu-Way Hotel and Cafe, then the Village Inn and now SASS Fashions.

READ ALSO: Summerland once had college campus

READ ALSO: Summerland’s Morton Hall was a college dorm

Kenyon continued with building construction and the family now operates Greyback Construction.

The move of the hotel building from Midway to Summerland is not the first time a Summerland hotel building has been relocated.

Morton Hall, one of the buildings constructed by Okanagan Baptist College in the early 20th century, was used as a classroom building from 1920 to 1922 and later became the Somerset Inn. The building is better known in Summerland as the Somerset Inn.

On July 6, 1988, the building was moved from Summerland to Penticton.

During the move, power was off for more than nine hours and the building was stuck en route. It was later set up on Skaha Lake Road in Penticton.

Unlike the former Crowell and Premier Hotel, Morton Hall did not last to the present day after its move. The building burned down in Penticton on Feb. 11, 1991.

To report a typo, email:
news@summerlandreview.com
.



news@summerlandreview.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.