Memorable Manitobans: James Chisholm (1841-1920)

Architect.

Born at Paris, Ontario on 25 December 1841, he trained as an architect before coming to the Red River Settlement in the spring of 1877 to work for John Sifton as a timekeeper on construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway between Winnipeg and Whitemouth. He worked as an architect at Superior, Wisconsin and St. Paul, Minnesota for 12 years before returning to Winnipeg in 1901 where he was head of the architectural firm of James Chisholm and Son, in partnership with his son Colin Campbell Chisholm. It is said that he supervised construction of the Old Winnipeg City Hall after architect Charles Arnold Barber was fired for incompetence.

On 22 February 1864, he married Elizabeth Goodfellow, at Brantford, Ontario. They had six children: Anna Alexandra Chisholm (1865-?, wife of Frank Heatly), Jeannette Campbell Chisholm (1868-1870), Gideon Goodfellow Chisholm (1870-1944, husband of Elizabeth Dundas), John James Chisholm (1874-1953, husband of Lillian Gertrude Spink), Helen Margaretta Chisholm (1878-1961, wife of Frederick Duffield Halpenny), and Colin Campbell Chisholm. He was a member of the Masons, Zion Methodist Church (where he was Superintendent of the Sunday School), and the Winnipeg School Board, one of the founders of the Strathcona Curling Club, and an honorary member of the Manitoba Curling Association.

He retired to California and died at Ocean Park on 14 October 1920.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Central School

110 Ellen Street, Winnipeg

1882

 

Harris Block

154 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1882

 

Clarendon Hotel

307-311 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1883

Demolished (1920)

Grace Methodist Church

Ellice and Notre Dame, Winnipeg

1883

Demolished (1957)

Maycock Block

586 Main Street, Winnipeg

1885

 

Machray School No. 1

Charles Street, Winnipeg

1886

 

Guest Block

596-598 Main Street, Winnipeg

1902

Destroyed by fire (8 March 2024)

Zion Methodist Church

335 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg

1904

Destroyed by fire (1970)

Simpson House (W. J. Simpson)

95 Academy Road, Winnipeg

1905

 

W. J. Guest Fish Warehouse

90 Alexander Avenue, Winnipeg

1905

 

Young Methodist / United Church

222 Furby Street, Winnipeg

1906

 

Jardine House (renovations)

115 Middle Gate, Winnipeg

1906

 

Exeter Block

76 Lily Street, Winnipeg

1906

Demolished (?)

Guest House (W. J. Guest)

75 Academy Road, Winnipeg

1907

 

Walter Woods Warehouse

10 Robinson Street, Winnipeg

1907

 

Selkirk Post Office and Customs Building

406 Main Street, Selkirk

1907-1909

 

Kipling Apartments

465 Langside Street, Winnipeg

1909

Demolished (?)

IOOF Temple

293 Kennedy Street, Winnipeg

1909-1910

 

Pottruff House

235 Kingsway, Winnipeg

1910

 

Sterling Bank Building

283 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1911

 

Zion Methodist Church

Roland, RM of Roland

1912

 

Sparling Methodist Church

1609 Elgin Avenue West, Winnipeg

1912

 

Jackson House

15 West Gate, Winnipeg

1912

 

Granite Curling Club

22 Mostyn Place, Winnipeg

1913

 

Marlborough Hotel

331 Smith Street, Winnipeg

1913

 

Shragge Warehouse

400 King Street

1913

 

La Salle Hotel

346 Nairn Avenue, Winnipeg

1914

 

Carruthers Building

124 King Street, Winnipeg

1916

 

Clarendon Block

307-311 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1920

Demolished (2012)

Sources:

“Died at Ocean Park, California, Thursday,” Manitoba Free Press, 16 October 1920, page 5.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

Obituary [Helen M. Halpenny], Winnipeg Free Press, 10 July 1961.

Winnipeg Building Index

Crescentwood, A History by R. R. Rostecki, Winnipeg: Crescentwood Home Owners Association, 1993.

We thank Matthew Chisholm, Susan Bracken, and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 March 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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