Historic Sites of Manitoba: Dominion Post Office Building (1039 Princess Avenue, Brandon)

Link to:
Postmasters | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

This two-storey stone building at the northeast corner of the intersection of Eleventh Street and Princess Avenue in Brandon was designed by Thomas William Fuller (1865-1951), Chief Architect for the Department of Public Works at Ottawa with local supervision by architect Walter Henderson Shillinglaw.

Measuring 80 feet by 110 feet, the building was constructed between 1929 and 1930 by the J. McDiarmid Company at a cost of about $150,000. The main floor was to be occupied by the post office and the second floor was for the customs department. It is now used by various federal government offices.

Postmasters

Period

Postmasters

1881-1900

James C. Kavanagh (1850-1923)

1901-1912

Kenneth Campbell (1854-?)

1912-1924

Thomas May Percival (1851-1936)

1925-1936

William James Munn (1886-1936)

1936-1951

Robert Kincaid Forbes (1886-1956)

1951-1955

James Arthur Cressey (1906-1960)

1955

Thomas Albert Edward Williams (1901-1971)

1955-1957

James Llewellyn Thornton Simmons (1906-1980)

1958-1962

Thomas Albert Edward Williams (1901-1971)

1962-1965

James Llewellyn Thornton Simmons (1906-1980)

1965-1966

Jack M. Barker

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of Brandon Post Office Building

Postcard view of Brandon Post Office Building (1930s)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0040

Postcard view of Brandon Post Office Building

The former Brandon Post Office building (March 2021)
Source: George Penner

Postcard view of Brandon Post Office Building

The former Brandon Post Office building (April 2023)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.84707, W99.95253
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Walter Henderson Shillinglaw (1864-1957)

Memorable Manitobans: James McDiarmid (1855-1934)

Sources:

“Public buildings at Brandon and Gretna,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 February 1929, page 9.

“Brandon nears new mark for building totals,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 May 1929, page 6.

“New Brandon Post Office will cost $150,000,” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 September 1929, page 6.

“Brandon will have new P.O., site purchased,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 September 1929, page 30.

“New post office plans will be finished soon,” Brandon Sun, 26 November 1929, page 1.

“Contract awarded for post office,” Brandon Sun, 23 January 1930, page 2.

“Several large buildings are under contract,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 March 1930, page 15.

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

Post Offices and Postmasters, Library and Archives Canada.

We thank George Penner and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 20 November 2023

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.

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