Historic Sites of Manitoba: Miller-Morse Building / Manitoba Liquor Control Commission Building / Richlu Building (317 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg)

This five-storey brick building at the corner of McDermot Avenue and Adelaide Street in Winnipeg was designed by architect James Henry Cadham and built in 1904 by John Alexander Girvin and Philip Burnett for the Miller-Morse Company, replacing its earlier building on Princess Street.

In November 1927, the building was sold to the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, which had previously occupied leased space on Henry Avenue. After moving in its stock in March 1928, the Commission used the 91,600 square feet of space mostly for warehousing but also for administration. In 1954, a five-storey brick expansion of the warehouse, designed by the architectural firm of Smith Carter and Katelnikoff, was built on the north side of the building. Sold in 1964 when the Commission moved to a new building on Buffalo Place, it was occupied by garment industry companies. By 1985, the entire building was owned by Richlu Sportswear (Richlu Manufacturing), a clothing manufacturer and importer.

In February 2017, it became a municipally-designated historic building.

Richlu Building (April 2017) Source: George Penner Richlu Building (December 2022) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89812, W97.14335 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Miller-Morse Building (86-88 Princess Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Memorable Manitobans: James Henry Cadham (1850-1907)

Memorable Manitobans: John Alexander Girvin (1851-1931)

Memorable Manitobans: Philip Burnett (1848-1936)

Memorable Manitobans: Abraham Samuel “Abe” Rich (1911-1994)

Manitoba Business: Manitoba Liquor Control Commission / Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation

Manitoba Business: Smith Carter and Katelnikoff / Smith Carter Architects and Engineers / Architecture49

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Liquor Control Commission War Memorial (1555 Buffalo Place, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“Liquor board to move; buys a warehouse,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 November 1927, page 1.

“Commission moves,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 March 1928, page 6.

“Notice of tender [Government Liquor Control Commission],” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 June 1954, page 33.

“Miller, Morse & Company Bulding, 317 McDermot Avenue” by Murray Peterson, Winnipeg Historical Buildings and Resources Committee, April 2016.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and George Penner.

Page revised: 26 December 2022

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