Located at the northwest corner of Aberdeen Avenue at Charles Street in Winnipeg, this three-storey apartment block was designed by its owner-contractor Theodore E. Lewiston in 1910 at a cost of about $45,000. The 33 feet by 120 feet building contained 30 suites. Its completion may have been delayed up to July 1911. By late 1911, the building was managed by the Lowery Brothers, Robert Newton Lowery and Edward Wesley Lowery.
The Lewiston Block (also called Lewiston Apartments) underwent several administrative changes during the years of the First World War. Its address, initially as 370 Charles Street, was re-indexed and changed to 288-290 Charles Street around 1915, followed with a renaming to Dublin Court. This rebrand was short-lived, with another change by late December 1916 to Belmont Block, with the original name being relocated to the newer Lewiston Block. During the latter half of the First World War, the Belmont Block was reorganized into two 15-suite sections: A Block at 288 Charles and B Block at 290 Charles.
The brick structure remained in use into the 1970s and was later demolished. The property has since had its address re-indexed as 291-293 Aberdeen Steet. The present building on the same site was built in 1992.
Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.91721, W97.13331
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Theodore E. Lewiston (?-?)
Memorable Manitobans: Robert Newton Lowery (1882-1962)
Memorable Manitobans: Edward Wesley Lowery (1886-1953)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lewiston Block (151 McKenzie Street / 667 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 1809/1910, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Building permits,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 July 1910, page 2.
“Big apartment permit,” Manitoba Free Press, 5 July 1910, page 3.
“Evidence all in Keroack case,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 February 1911, page 11.
“Personal [Falls from street car - Mrs. Andrew Wilson, suite 2, Lewiston Block ...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 July 1911, page 5.
“Unfurnished suites [Lewiston Block cor. Aberdeen and Charles ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 27 December 1911, page 17.
“Unfurnished suites [Lewiston Block cor. Aberdeen and Charles ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 28 December 1911, page 17.
“Female help wanted [Wanted good reliable person for light housework ...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 November 1915, page 25.
“City and district [Baby drowned in bath tub],” Manitoba Free Press, 19 April 1916, page 5.
“Unfurnished suites [4 room suite in Belmont Block],” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 December 1916, page 18.
1916 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
Winnipeg Assessment and Taxation Department.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.
We thank Gordon Goldsborough for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 12 March 2023
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