Originally called the Benson Block, although a name plate near the top says “Hold Block”, this building was the twin to the Bawlf Block next door to the north. Both buildings were constructed in 1882 for liveryman Joseph Benson and grain merchant Nicholas Bawlf, respectively, on a design by local architect brothers Charles A. Barber and Earle W. Barber.
This building was first occupied by the wholesale grocery firm of Griffin and Douglas. It had a succession of names and functions through the years, including several stints as a hotel: Globe Hotel (1894-1904), Market Hotel (1904-1917), Market Hotel (1925-1937), Bank Hotel (1937-1944), and Drake Hotel (1944-1974), and a period as an office block and warehouse (1917-1925).
The Benson and Bawlf buildings were demolished in 2003 to make way for the downtown campus of the Red River College although the exterior façades were retained. In 2004, the structure (a municipally-designated historic site) was recognized with a Heritage Winnipeg Preservation Award.
Benson Block / Drake Hotel (September 1957) by John H. Warkentin
Source: John Warkentin Fonds, 2009-029/003, ASC16519, York University
Drake Hotel Facade (June 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Drake Hotel Facade (September 2024)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89993, W97.14125
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bawlf Block / House of Comoy (150 Princess Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Harris Block / Hochman Building (154 Princess Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Grain Exchange Building (156-160 Princess Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Some Old Winnipeg Buildings by Randy Rostecki
MHS Transactions, Series 3, Number 29, 1972-1973 Season
Drake Hotel / Benson Block (146 Princess Street), City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, June 1979.
We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 18 September 2026
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