Historic Sites of Manitoba: Machray School (Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg)

The present Machray School is the fourth structure to bear this name on this site, at the intersection of Charles Street and Mountain Avenue. The original one-room school, named for cleric Robert Machray, was designed by Winnipeg architect James Chisholm and constructed in 1886.

Enlarged with two more classrooms in 1891, the school was replaced in 1899 with a ten-classroom design by H. S. Griffith, with classes beginning in the new building in 1900. A 14-room addition was made to it in 1913. This second building was replaced in 1921 by one designed by local architect J. B. Mitchell. It was later demolished and replaced by the present building.

Principals of Machray School

Period	Principal
1886-?	?
?-1894	Miss Margaret Young
1894-1899	Miss Nettie Milligan
1899-1904	Alice Elvira Talbot (1867-1949)
1904-1921	John Braithwaite Wallis (1876-1962)
1921-1939	Charles Walter Laidlaw (1873-1953)
1939-1944	Arthur Victor Pigott (1900-1987)
1944-1951	John Elwood Ridd (1896-1986)
1951-1955	Archibald Cameron McMurchy (1900-1982)
1955-1961	Leslie George Robinson (1903-1994)
1961-1972	A. J. Pybus

Machray School No. 1 (circa 1888) Source: Winnipeg School Division Architectural drawing of Machray School No. 2 (no date) Source: Province of Manitoba, Plans and Specifications for Rural Schools, 1903. [Manitoba Legislative Library] Postcard of Machray School No. 2, circa 1912 Source: Rob McInnes, WP0630 Machray School No. 3 (no date) Source: Winnipeg School Division Site Location (lat/long): N49.91982, W97.13198 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Winnipeg schools, No. 8—Machray”, Manitoba Free Press, 24 October 1922, page 11.

“Machray old-timers’ reunion is planned for May 27 and 28”, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 1943, page 11.

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

We thank the Winnipeg School Division for providing additional information used here.

Information for this page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 1 October 2012

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