JB Fletcher Store Museum

Restored heritage building that serves as a museum and contains a retail shop with unique gifts by local artisans.

Heritage

In April of 1896, a fire raged through Ainsworth BC and burned down most of the community’s commercial buildings and homes. Mr. Henry Giegerich lost his original store and rebuilt a new one that same year to continue on with his mercantile business. In 1913, John Bradley Fletcher was hired to run the store and by 1929, he had purchased it and it became the J.B. Fletcher General Store. He remained open until 1973. Although the building was closed for many years, eventually Mr. Fletcher’s daughter, Mavis Stainer, formed the non-profit organization the J.B. Fletcher Restoration Society and the building reopened as a museum. In 2017, the Society began a three year restoration process through Heritage BC’s Built Heritage Grants which were funded by the Columbia Basin Trust. The store has been completely rejuvenated and is reopening its doors with all the amenities required to keep it open year round.

This building is truly special. It is one of only a few commercial buildings in BC from this era with intact interior elements. It contains all of the counters, shelving, gas lights, string holders, paper dispensers, as well as a cash register, weigh scale, coffee grinder, cheese wheel and many other items that were used in the operation of the store.