A monument, erected in 1996 on the south side of St. Cross Street near the intersection of Mortimer Place in Winnipeg, commemorates Saint Cross House, a school for daughters of the Lord Selkirk settlers operated by a Miss Mills, situated near this site from 1851 to 1859. Built of oak timber, the original structure was expanded with north and south wings. It was later used as a college for boys but, by 1891, was occupied only by the caretaker for the nearby St. John’s Cemetery. During the summer of 1899, the building was demolished to allow the opening of a new street, at which time the original central portion was purported to be one of the oldest remaining buildings in the province.
The monument was dedicated by Nina Hartmann (?-2011), wife of Ukrainian immigrant Wasily Sawelo, and built by her son Victor Sawelo with the support of daughter Raisa Millar and grandchildren.
Sketch of Saint Cross House (circa 1899)
Source: “Old St. John’s College,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 June 1899, page 5.
Saint Cross House Monument (May 2015)
Source: Nathan KramerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92061, W97.12172
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: William Cockran [William Cochrane] (1798-1865)
Early Red River Culture by Marion Bryce
MHS Transactions, Series 1, Read 12 February 1901
“Old St. John’s College,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 June 1899, page 5.
“Red River Schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 July 1930, page 5.
Winnipeg Estate file PR11-01-88857, Nina Sawelo, Archives of Manitoba.
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 and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 21 February 2021
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