This five-storey brick and stone building in Winnipeg was designed by local architect Victor William Horwood and constructed in late 1905 by W. A. Irish and Company as a mixed retail and office space for real estate developer Frank C. Bell. Initially a three-storey structure, two floors were added in 1909 by day labour on a design by architect Herbert Edward Matthews.
The firm of Bryce and Company occupied the building from 1913 to around 1960 and, around 1914, a portion was occupied by the Dominion Business College. The building was later renovated into a residential apartment block. In 2015, the owners of the Bell Block received a Conservation Award from Heritage Winnipeg.
Bell Block (circa 1912)
Source: Pam Cooper
Bell Block (April 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Bell Block (April 2017)
Source: George Penner
Aerial view of the Bell Block (September 2024)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89583, W97.14440
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Victor William Horwood (1878-1939)
Manitoba Business: Saul and Irish Construction Company / W. A. Irish and Company
Memorable Manitobans: Herbert Edward Matthews (1868-1941)
Manitoba Business: Dominion Business College / Cooper Education Institute
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bell Block (813-815 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bell Block / Victoria Block / Daymin Court (1202 Rosser Avenue, Brandon)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 870/1905, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Tenders,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 July 1905, page 4.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 918/1909, City of Winnipeg Archives.
370 Donald, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee.
We thank Pam Cooper and George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 29 September 2024
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