This 2½-storey cream brick and wood shingle siding, Queen Anne Revival-style house was at the northeast corner of Smith Street and St. Mary's Avenue in Winnipeg. Measuring 28 feet by 35 feet, it was built in 1903 by owner/contractor George Arthur Alsip at a cost of about $3,300. He sold it to Robert R. Mackay, a retired accountant.
Subcontractors included: Alsip Brick, Tile & Lumber Company Limited (bricks).
In 1906, the building was purchased by Robert Francis Rorke, a physician who operated his practice in it. Around 1914, a one-storey brick expansion to the original structure was built on the front and side. It was intended to house a corner store and cafe. The house was later subdivided into seven residential apartments while the store was purchased by Jamas Cunningham (1882-1956). Known as the Cunningham Grocery, it was associated with the Red & White Stores chain.
The building was expropriated by the federal government and demolished in 1952 to allow for the construction of the new Dominion Post Office Building.
Cunningham Grocery (1950)
Source: Cunningham FamilySite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89116, W97.14041
denoted by symbol in the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: George Arthur Alsip (1866-1917)
MHS Centennial Business: Alsip Brick, Tile & Lumber Company Limited / Alsip's Building Products and Services
Memorable Manitobans: Robert Francis Rorke (1863-1948)
Manitoba Business: Red & White Corporation
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Dominion Post Office Building / Winnipeg Police Building (266 Graham Avenue, Winnipeg)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 766/1903, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Winnipeg fire insurance map, #49 August 1906, Library and Archives Canada.
Winnipeg fire insurance map, #49 December 1910 - revised May 1914, Library and Archives Canada.
Winnipeg fire insurance map, #104 December 1955, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Property Details [199-203 Smith Street], Winnipeg Assessment and Taxation.
We thank the Cunningham family for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 15 August 2026
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