Located at the northeast corner of Selkirk Avenue at McKenzie Street in Winnipeg, this three-storey apartment block was designed by its owner Theodore E. Lewiston and built in 1911 by day labour at a cost of about $20,000. The 28.5 feet by 105 feet building contained two commercial units (677 and 677½ Selkirk Avenue) with eight residential suites split between all three floors. On the ground level, the commercial units were initially occupied by the Harrison Brothers (pharmacists, of the Harrison Block) and the grocer partnership of Moffat and Douglas.
By late 1916, the building was named the Lewiston Block, with the name having been discontinued by another apartment block at 288-290 Charles Street. [Or renamed, having previously been purportedly known as the Benarey Block.] The residential suite count was increased to 11 by 1917 and an additional suite was added during the 1920s.
The structure was demolished around 2005.
Lewiston Block (c1940)
Source: Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada
Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada collection, JHS No. 2846 / JM No. 2197Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.91786, W97.15117
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Theodore E. Lewiston (?-?)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lewiston Block / Dublin Court / Belmont Block (288-290 Charles Street, Winnipeg)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 1356/1911, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“$100,000 in building permits issued,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 May 1911, page 1.
“Building permits,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 May 1911, page 14.
Archives of Manitoba fire insurance plan collection, Western Canada Fire Underwriters’ Association fire insurance plans of Winnipeg - Series 2 - Volume 2 - Sheet 280, Archives of Manitoba.
1916 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
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 and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 20 March 2023
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