Known today as the Cowan House, this place is located at 608 Broadway Street, Nakusp. It is valued for its original association with Jack Genelle, who in 1897 built this one and one half storey end-gabled vernacular cottage on the Genelle mill property. The cottage was moved up the hill to its present location in 1906. It is notable that the cottage was built with lumber from the Genelle mill, including its drop siding cladding, late-Victorian spindle work porch supports, decorative gable truss, and decorative fretwork. The fretwork was made by Mr. Goupille, a relative of the Genelle’s. Other farm buildings include a dairy barn built in the 1930s, a milk house, and storage sheds.
This place is valued as a reminder of one of only two French-speaking settlers in this small town, and also a remnant of the forest industry and wood processing by Francophones.
It is also valued for its association with the Cowan family whose descendants continue to reside there after more than a century.