Memorable Manitobans: Charles Saunders Bridgman (1876-1965)

Architect.

Born at Toronto, Ontario on 14 February 1876, son of William Bridgman and Elizabeth Saunders, he moved with his family to London, Ontario where he took his early schooling, later studying architecture at the Atelier Masqueray in New York City from about 1892 to 1897, when he commenced an architectural practice with C. A. Rich. On 1 January 1903 he married Maida Helena McBroom of London and, later that year, they moved to Winnipeg where he practised architecture until 1937. He retired to London, Ontario in 1938.

During the Second World War, he was called into service in the construction of Air Training Stations in central Ontario and, after the war, he returned to private practice with his brother Gordon Bridgman. He retired a second time in 1955. He died at London, Ontario on 17 October 1965.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
St. Luke’s Anglican Church	130 Nassau Street North, Winnipeg	1904-1905
Portage Hotel	125 Saskatchewan Avenue East, Portage la Prairie	1905	Destroyed by fire (31 August 2006)
Corbett House	97 West Gate, Winnipeg	1906
German Lutheran Church	691 Alexander Avenue, Winnipeg	1906
Richmond Apartments	430 Young Street, Winnipeg	1906
Ripstein Block	172-182 Logan Avenue / 48 Martha Street, Winnipeg	1906	Demolished (1940)
St. Giles Presbyterian Church	294 Burrows Avenue, Winnipeg	1908
Mills Block	1000 Main Street, Winnipeg	1908
Riley House	90 East Gate, Winnipeg	1909
Bickle Court	600 Broadway, Winnipeg	1909
Metcalfe Block	451 Hethrington Avenue, Winnipeg	1909
Osborne-River Building	100 Osborne Street, Winnipeg	1910
Riverview Mansions	27 Balmoral Street, Winnipeg	1910	Demolished (?)
Brown House (Dr. Raymond Brown)	Ethelbert Street, Winnipeg	1911
Weber House (Ira S. K. Weber)	283 Yale Avenue, Winnipeg	1912
Anvers Apartments	758 McMillan Avenue, Winnipeg	1912
DeBary Apartments	626 Wardlaw Avenue, Winnipeg	1912-1913
Brussels Apartments	150-156 Lilac Street, Winnipeg	1912
Regal Court	152-154 Maryland Street, Winnipeg	1912
Hossie House (W. Arthur Hossie)	Godfrey Street, Winnipeg	1913
Redwood Apartments	205-213 College Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Abmyndo Apartments	519-521 William Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Ellice Block	468 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg	1914
West St. Paul Municipal Building	West St. Paul	1917
Gaspe Apartments	601 Broadway, Winnipeg	1917
Wiley Warehouse	533 Henry Avenue, Winnipeg	1918
Bucknam-Walmsley Garage Building	275 Smith Street, Winnipeg	1920	Demolished (1983)
Dawson Richardson Building	171 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	1921
Cypress River United Church	Cypress River, RM of Victoria	1921
St. Edward’s Convent	800 Adele Avenue, Winnipeg	1922
Sparling Apartments	217 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg	1925
Winnitoba Block	54 Young Street, Winnipeg	1926
Blackstone Apartments	100 Roslyn Road, Winnipeg	1927
Franklin Apartments	435 Spence Street, Winnipeg	1929
Manitou Opera House	325 Main Street, Manitou, Municipality of Pembina	1930
Beacon Theatre (renovation)	557 Main Street, Winnipeg	1930	Demolished (1966)

Sources:

Advertisement, Manitoba Free Press, 25 February 1904, page 2.

“New St. Giles’ is a beautiful edifice,” Manitoba Free Press, 14 March 1908, page 5.

“Issues permits for buildings worth $244,000,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 March 1920, page 3.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 27 October 1965, page 17.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

Winnipeg Building Index, University of Manitoba.

We thank L. D. Laird, Nathan Kramer, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 September 2024

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: 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 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 | 2025 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!