Bennett Block

This building is valued for its association with the 1911 building boom that defined Front Street as the commercial centre of the new municipality of Penticton. The crisp Classical Revival design of the brick-faced front facade shows the confidence of investors of the day. The facade was framed by brick pilasters and a parapet with cornice. The front was divided into three panels, each with large plate glass windows, and there was a central entrance. It is likely that this was one of the first uses of Penticton brick on a commercial building. The original owner, A.E. Bennett, was an investor in the first brickyard to use local clay, started in 1911. Another innovation was the use of a skylight, reputedly the first of its kind in Penticton.