Memorable Manitobans: Hugh McCowan (1841-1908)

Hugh McCowan Click to enlarge

Architect.

Born at Wardville, Ontario on 27 January 1841, he studied architecture and sanitary engineering at Flint, Michigan before coming to Winnipeg in 1879 and working in the contracting trade for about ten years. He gradually moved into supervision of construction and drawing of plans, after 1905 in partnership with Robert Edgar Davies. He was a member of the Masons and Baptist Church. He died unmarried at St. Boniface on 8 April 1908 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Odd Fellows Hall	72 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1883-1884
Baptist Church	Pilot Mound	1888	Closed (1911)
Winnipeg Collegiate Institute	Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg	1891
Gretna School No. 336	Gretna	1893
Kay Building	245 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	1893
Maple Leaf School No. 83	Morden	1893
Stovel Building	245 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	1893
Calvary Temple / First Baptist Church	400 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg	1893-1894
Christie-Broughall Block	536 Main Street / 207 James Avenue, Winnipeg	1895	Demolished (1990)
Cypress River School No. 342	Cypress River	1896
First Scandinavian Mission Church	268 Ellen Street, Winnipeg	1897
Robert Strang Residence	82 Carlton Street, Winnipeg	1900
Brandon College	270 Eighteenth Street, Brandon	1901
Martin School No. 870	Kelvin Avenue, Winnipeg	1901	Demolished (circa 1917)
Emerson Baptist Church	Third Street, Emerson	1905
Henderson Block	Princess Street, Winnipeg	?
Winnipeg General Hospital, Jubilee Wing	Winnipeg	?
Free Press Building	McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	?

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Death registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Hugh M’Cowan dies after short illness,” Manitoba Free Press, 9 April 1908, page 7.

Winnipeg Building Index.

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

We thank Nathan Kramer, Robert Hill, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 16 October 2024

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!