Memorable Manitobans: Charles Arnold Barber (1848-1915)

Architect.

Born in Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1848, he apprenticed as an architect and opened his own practice in 1870. He moved to Winnipeg in 1876 and, with his brother Earle William Barber, headed the architectural firm of Barber & Barber which designed many buildings before, during, and after the city’s first boom, which ended in the early 1880s. Many of their buildings were ornate, often with Italianate flourishes. They designed the Winnipeg City Hall (1883-86) in Victorian eclectic style.

There were constant rumours of corruption and dishonesty against Barber, a rival architect describing him as “an artist truly whose canvas is that of cunning and whose tools are those of deception.” At one point, it is believed that he practiced with architect James R. Bowes.

Barber left Winnipeg in 1887 following a charge of election bribery, and returned in 1892. In Montreal in 1903 he and his wife were arrested for extortion with violence, and the court heard that they had behaved similarly before in many other cities. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. He died at New Westminster, British Columbia on 22 September 1915.

Some of his architectural works in Winnipeg included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Central School No. 1	Ellen Street	1877	Demolished (?)
North Ward School	McTavish Street	1877	Demolished (?)
Carlton School / South Central School	Graham Avenue	1880-1881	Demolished (?)
Manitoba College	Ellice Avenue	1881-1882	Demolished (?)
Benson Block	146 Princess Street	1882	Facade part of Red River College
Bawlf Block	148 Princess Street	1882	Facade part of Red River College
Drake Hotel	150 Princess Street	1882	Facade part of Red River College
Bathgate Block	242 Princess Street	1882-1883
Winnipeg Police Court	223 James Avenue	1883	Demolished (?)
Pinkham School	765 Pacific Avenue	1883	Demolished (?)
Winnipeg City Hall	Main Street	1883-1886	Demolished (?)
St. John’s College	Main Street	1883-1884	Demolished (?)
Mulvey School No. 1	Maryland Street	1884	Demolished (?)
Leland Hotel	218 William Avenue	1884	Demolished (?)
West Clement Block	494 Main Street, Winnipeg	1884	Destroyed by fire (1979)
Utility Building / Bawlf Grain Exchange II	164 Princess Street	1892	Facade part of Red River College

See also:

Charles Arnold Barber, Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

Sources:

Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

Quiet Dignity: Aspects of Building Schools in the Winnipeg School Division No. 1, 1871-1928 by Giles Bugailiskis, MA thesis, Department of History, University of Manitoba, 1990.

Winnipeg Building Index

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada: 1800-1950

Utility Building / Bawlf Grain Exchange II (164 Princess Street), City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, June 1979.

J. Bowes & Son, Architects in Ottawa by Elizabeth V. Krug, Bytown Pamphlet Series No. 73, The Historical Society of Ottawa, 2008.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 April 2022

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!