Historic Sites of Manitoba: Kolbrun Apartments (821 St. Paul Avenue, Winnipeg)

This three-storey brick apartment block on the north side of St. Paul Avenue in Winnipeg, measuring 33 feet by 87 feet, was designed and built in 1911 by day labourers under the supervision of owner Thorsteinn Oddson, along with two identical buildings to the east of it, Kolbrun Apartments and Komoka Apartments. Each building contained 14 apartments and all were served with steam heat, electricity, sewer, and running water. The construction of each building consumed 38 cords of stone, 223,000 red and amber bricks, 4,582 cubic yards of plaster, and 96 cubic yards of concrete. The approximate construction cost for each building was $40,000.

Kelona Apartments at right and Kolbrun Apartments at left (September 2019) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88815, W97.17067 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Thorsteinn Oddson (1864-1934)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Komoka Apartments (817 St. Paul Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Kelona Apartments (819 St. Paul Avenue, Winnipeg)

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 945/1911, City of Winnipeg Archives.

Apartment House Architecture in Winnipeg to 1915 by David Spector, December 1980.

Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.

This page was prepared by George Penner, Nathan Kramer, and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 28 March 2023

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