Designed in less than a month by Winnipeg architects Barber and Barber, and built between 1883 and 1886, the old City Hall was constructed amidst a storm of scandal and controversy. Considered beautiful by some, ugly by others, it was the focus of many civic events. The “Gingerbread City Hall” was demolished in early 1962 to make room for the present structure.
An Historic Winnipeg plaque is found near the northwest corner of the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall on Princess Street behind the City Hall sign.
Old City Hall with the Volunteer Monument at right (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2005-0098.
Old City Hall under demolition (April 1962) by John H. Warkentin
Source: John Warkentin Fonds, 2009-029/003, ASC16603, York University
Old City Hall under demolition (April 1962) by John H. Warkentin
Source: John Warkentin Fonds, 2009-029/003, ASC16602, York University
Old City Hall Plaque (2010)
Source: City of WinnipegSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89970, W97.13955
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg City Hall (510 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Monument (Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Boy With The Boot (Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Commemorative Plaques of the Winnipeg City Hall (510 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Titanic Plaque (Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion Plaque (William Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg General Strike Plaque (William Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: The Volunteer Monument (Main Street, Winnipeg)
Winnipeg’s City Halls 1876-1965 by A. F. J. Artibise
Manitoba Pageant, Volume 22, Number 3, Spring 1977
“City Hall demolition bids in,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 January 1962, page 3.
Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 26 September 2024
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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