A one-storey brick block (later expanded to two storeys) on Main Street in Melita was built in 1915 for menswear merchant George Blonfield Barker (1869-1945) to replace his earlier building on the same site. Original features on the building include a cornice at the first floor, two cast iron pillars, and a mosaic tile floor outside the entrance containing Barker’s name. The store closed in 1990 after which the building became a dollar store before merging with the neighbouring Morrow Block after 1999.
Morrow Block on right (no date)
Source: Our First Century, page 348.
Barker Block on the left and Morrow Block on the right (February 2026)
Source: Pryce BrownSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.27055, W100.99101
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Elliott Block / Morrow Block (123 Main Street, Melita)
Death registration [George Blonfield Barker], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Our First Century: Town of Melita and Municipality of Arthur by Melita-Arthur History Committee, 1983, pages 348.
This page was prepared by Kerrin Asmundson, Pryce Brown, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 February 2026
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
