Architectural Heritage
Fernie Livery
The distinctive façade of the Livery
Building sits on the northern boundary
of Fernie’s heritage commercial district
at 701 2nd Avenue. In 1907, Alex
Rizzuto and J. Crawford purchased
the Fernie Livery, Dray and Transfer
Company from William Handley and
set about modernizing and expanding
the business. The partners suffered
a huge set-back when the wooden
structure was razed in the fire that
swept through downtown Fernie in
1908, but with $3,000 in insurance
money (half of what they had claimed),
they began to rebuild. Following
the town’s new directive to build
in fireproof materials, the current
two-storey facility was erected with
rubblestone from the nearby Elk River.
Structurally, it has changed very little in
its 110-year history.
The Fernie Livery, Dray and Transfer
Company utilized a fleet of horse-
drawn drays to deliver milk, coal, feed
and other goods in Fernie for many
years. Stump-pulling, lot clearing, and
sales of ice in summer were also among
the many services offered. With the
arrival of automobiles in the Elk Valley,
the business was proudly advertised
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as “The Up-To-Date Garage” for
servicing vehicles, and briefly served as
a Chrysler dealership in 1925.
In 1926, the garage closed and the
building became the home of the Scott
Fruit Company. In September 1933,
the Fernie Cartage Company moved
in on the main floor and operated out
of this location until 1979. Over the
past 40 years, the Livery building
has housed an antiques store, two
restaurants (The Wood and The Livery)
Grow Children’s Store and is now home
to the Urban Settler retail space (the
second furniture store to feature here)
and a private apartment. The ground
floor was also the popular Eldorado
nightclub for many years.