Local entrepreneur W. R. Baker purchased the small shops situated immediately south of the Duffin Block and, in 1901, he constructed a three-storey brick structure on a design by architect H. S. Griffith. The main floor was occupied by a music store and jewellery, while offices on the second and third floors were used by physicians, dentists, and other professionals. In 1921, the building was purchased and renamed the Home Investment Building by a firm established by businessman Manlius Bull which operated here until 1947. It is now a municipally-designated historic building.
Baker Block (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Baker Block (September 2024)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89768, W97.13931
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Duffin Block (474 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Birt’s Saddlery (Former Baker and Duffin Blocks), 470-474 Main Street, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, December 1983.
We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 30 September 2024
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