Link to:
Occupants | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
A 2½-storey residence on Ruskin Row in Winnipeg, measuring 60 feet by 25 feet, was designed by Minneapolis architect William Channing Whitney. It was built between 1912 and 1913 by the Imperial Construction Company of Toronto, Ontario at a cost of about $150,000 for businessman Alexander Rae Davidson. It was the highest-cost building permit issued in Winnipeg for a single-family dwelling to that time.
The house was built of Bedford limestone in an Elizabethan-Jacobethan Revival style, with shaped gables, grouped leaded windows, and a large columned entrance. Its 37 rooms included a ballroom, billiards room, and wine cellar, with interior finishes of oak, walnut, and mahogany. A detached garage at the rear of the property was connected to the house by an underground tunnel.
Davidson lived in the home until his death in 1922. It was purchased in 1924 by Robert Thomas Evans, whose family occupied it until the late 1950s. Sold for redevelopment, the house was opened for public tours and salvage before being demolished in 1963.
The site was later subdivided into three lots, with a smaller residence built on one of them, in 1974, on a design by architect Peter Wreglesworth of Smith Carter Partners. This brick masonry house features bold contemporary massing and a basement garage.
Period
Occupant/Owner
1913-1922
Alexander Rae Davidson (1855-1922)
1924-1936
Robert Thomas Evans (1873-1936)
1936-1959
Minnie Seeger Evans (1873-1959)
1959-1963
Vacant
Davidson House (1913)
Source: Manitoba Free Press, 28 June 1913, page 11.
Postcard view of Davidson House (no date)
Source: Andrew Cunningham
A modern residence on the former site of Davidson House (May 2006)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87293, W97.16046
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
“10 Ruskin Row (1912 - 1963),” Flickr photo collection.
“A Crescentwood residence,” Manitoba Free Press, 28 June 1913, page 11.
“Atlas now starting to dismantle 10 Ruskin Row,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 April 1963, page 6.
“Monster mansion: Massive home on Ruskin Row was city’s most extravagant” by Christian Cassidy, Winnipeg Free Press, 13 March 2016.
We thank Andrew Cunningham for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Kenneth Ingram, Christian Cassidy, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 November 2025
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!
