This 1884 log cabin is rare because it has two storeys. After its use by the Canadian Pacific Railway, it became a private family dwelling located behind the Manitou Post Office and, throughout the years, it was covered with a variety of sidings. A few years ago, it was to be demolished when the owner noticed that, under the layers of siding, it was completely made of logs.
In 2002, the log cabin was moved to this site on Main Street in Manitou and, the next year, was declared a municipal heritage building. It has been restored by volunteers, supported financially by the Thomas Sill Foundation; Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism; Agassiz Credit Union; Heartland Community Futures, and local businesses and citizens. It is used as a Tourism Centre for the Municipality of Pembina and is furnished with period pieces. It is opened seasonally and further information may be obtained at 204-242-2765.
Also on the site are two heritage homes known as the Nellie McClung Heritage Site that opened in 2017. The 1½-storey yellow home with a clapboard exterior was built in 1878. McClung boarded there for her first school teaching job. The two-storey, mansard-roofed house was where newlyweds Nellie and Wesley lived from 1899 to 1911, and where she wrote her first novel Sowing Seeds in Danny (1908).
Log Cabin Tourist Centre at Manitou (April 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Log Cabin Tourist Centre at Manitou (May 2024)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Hazel Cottage at Manitou (August 2018)
Source: George Penner
Hazel Cottage at Manitou (August 2018)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Interior of Hazel Cottage at Manitou (August 2018)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
McClung newlywed house at Manitou (August 2018)
Source: George Penner
McClung newlywed house at Manitou (May 2024)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Interior of McClung newlywed house at Manitou (May 2024)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.23703, W98.54175
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Memorable Manitobans: Letitia Ellen Mooney “Nellie” McClung (1873-1951)
Memorable Manitobans: William Robert “Bill” Wallcraft (1900-1992)
We thank Bette Mueller for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Ed Grassick, George Penner, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 12 May 2024
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
