With the removal of the railroad overpass on Algonquin Blvd. at Spruce St. coming up soon as part of connecting link work, and the possible demise of the Empire Complex, our local history feature the next couple weeks will focus on iconic structures in the city.
Museum director-curator Karen Bachmann says they are heritage and history that we take for granted, and don’t notice anymore.
“Our headframe at the McIntyre is one example. It’s spectacular,” she remarks. “It’s huge compared to a lot of other headframes that are our there. And it’s very iconic and it really does tell the history of the Schumacher area and of the McIntyre Mine.”
One such example of iconic structures is quite near the underpass.
“And you look across at the Hollinger Park and you look at that skyline of the Hollinger Mine, the beehive, the concrete headframe, the concrete buildings. Which have art deco influences on the outside. What mining companies do that now, right?” Bachmann states.
Another icon is the Hollinger house outside the museum. Bachmann says it represents the beginning of our community.