Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ashdown Building (476 Main Street, Winnipeg)

In 1904, Winnipeg architect J. H. G. Russell designed a new foundation for an existing, three-storey 1880s building on this site, the store for merchant James H. Ashdown. A few months later, the building was destroyed by fire but two new storeys were built hastily on the undamaged foundation. Four more storeys were added to it in 1905.

A one-storey addition was made to the north side of the building in 1959, along with extensive exterior renovation, on designs by the architectural firm of Moody and Moody. The Ashdown store closed in 1970 and the building was sold to Big 4 Sales which operated here until 1992. The building was later renovated for use by a variety of businesses and cultural organizations. It is a municipally-designated historic site.

Ashdown Building (circa 1903)
Source: An Illustrated Souvenir of Winnipeg

Ashdown Building (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Location (lat/long): N49.89787, W97.13908
denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

Big 4 Sales (Formerly J. H. Ashdown Hardware Store), 476 Main Street, Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, March 1998.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 7 October 2014

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