This five-storey brick structure, originally consisting of six floors, was designed by Winnipeg architect James Henry Cadham and built in 1904 by Sinclair Balsor Ritchie and Philip Burnett as the headquarters for the Scott Furniture Company. Found in 1874 by Thomas Scott, the retail furniture store and warehouse was operated by Frederick William Scott, his son, into the 1930s.
On 13 June 1905, lightning struck the building and caused a major fire that destroyed the rear and side walls and all of its contents. Repairs were done later that year. Similar damage resulted from a fire on 23 March 1914. Reconstruction in 1915 under the supervision of the firm of Pratt and Ross added an internal concrete frame to which the walls were attached and the uppermost storey was removed. Sometime in the 1960s or 1970s, metal cladding was installed on the front of the building facing Main Street. The cladding was removed during a renovation done in 2013 and 2014, revealing the red stone from the 1915 restoration.
A municipally-designated historic site, in 2012 it received a Conservation Award from Heritage Winnipeg.
Scott Block (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Scott Block (January 2022)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89288, W97.13733
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: James Henry Cadham (1850-1907)
Memorable Manitobans: Sinclair Balsor Ritchie (1855-1933)
Memorable Manitobans: Philip Burnett (1848-1936)
Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Scott (1841-1915)
Memorable Manitobans: Frederick William Scott (1867-1940)
Manitoba Business: Pratt and Ross
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Scott Block / Old Post Office (Nelson Street West, Virden)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 115/1904, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Scott Block, 272 Main Street, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, April 2011.
We thank Nathan Kramer and George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 30 September 2022
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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