Memorable Manitobans: Paul Melsted Clemens (1870-1966)

Architect.

Born in Iceland in August 1870, he emigrated to Chicago in 1884 where he trained as an architect at the Armour Institute. He moved to Winnipeg in 1898 and worked with a large group of Icelandic settlers who, as contractors, craftsmen and labourers, worked cooperatively and used their native language on the work site. In early 1903, he was a member of the architectural and contracting firm of Johnson and Clemens, in partnership with Isak Johnson. By late 1903, he worked alone, specializing in the design of plain and undistinguished walk-up apartment blocks, many of which were built during the building boom in Winnipeg between 1908 and 1914. He remained in Winnipeg until 1921, then moved back to Chicago and continued to practice. He later lived at Norfolk, Virginia where he was a member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

On 15 August 1905, he married Laufey G. Gudjonsdottir (1884-1980) at Winnipeg. They had five children: Paul Henry Clemens (1906-1968, husband of Mabel Reykdal), Thorkell George Clemens (1910-1919), Dorothy Gudrun Ingibjorg Clemens (1912-2004, wife of Vigus H. Johnson), John Christian Walter Clemens (1917-1984, husband of Mary Malkovich), and Lillian Alice Clemens (1919-1967, wife of Roy W. Carson).

He died at Excelsior Springs, Missouri on 14 October 1966 and was buried in the Ashern United Cemetery. The Archives of Manitoba has a small collection of his drawings for projects executed between 1905 to 1921.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Oddson House	Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg	1905
Pulford House	39 East Gate, Winnipeg	1907
St. James School No. 7	266 Linwood Street, Winnipeg	1907	Demolished (?)
Argyle Block	224 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg	1908
Winona Court	174 Nassau Street North, Winnipeg	1909
Belle Vista Apartments	597 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg	1909	Demolished (?)
Walhalla Block	577 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg	1909	Destroyed by fire (2012)
Dawson Court	432 Furby Street, Winnipeg	1910
Markland Court	712 Furby Street, Winnipeg	1910	Demolished (after 2000)
Maulson House	111 Spence Street, Winnipeg	1910
Nova Villa Apartments	615 Sherbrook, Winnipeg	1910
Victoria Court	471 William Avenue, Winnipeg	1910
Patricia Court	489 Furby Street, Winnnipeg	1911	Demolished (2017)
Harald Apartments	641-645 Westminster, Winnipeg	1911
Ramona Court	267 Pritchard Avenue, Winnipeg	1911	Demolished (?)
Riverside Apartments	42 Langside Street, Winnipeg	1911
Waldorf Apartments	634 Broadway, Winnipeg	1911
Albermarle Apartments	64 Langside Street, Winnipeg	1911-1912
Asquith Court	720 Furby Street, Winnipeg	1912	Demolished (?)
Hyldegunn Block / Burris Block	686 Toronto Street, Winnipeg	1912
Emily Apartments	745 Winnipeg Avenue, Winnipeg	1912	Demolished (1961)
Pandora Court	759 Winnipeg Avenue, Winnipeg	1912	Demolished (1961)
Windsor Apartments	122 Langside Street, Winnipeg	1912
Harrow Apartments	183 Harrow Street, Winnipeg	1913
Hrefna Apartments	768 Toronto Street, Winnipeg	1913
Sylvia Apartments	774 Toronto Street, Winnipeg	1913
Moyse House	838 Wolseley Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Wilson House	834 Wolseley Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Ruth Apartments	510 Maryland Street, WInnipeg	1914
Minerva Court	290 Beverley Street, Winnipeg	1914
Hazelton Apartments	722 Maryland Street, Winnipeg	1914	Demolished (?)
Hampton Court (Cheltenham Court)	478-480 Langside Street, Winnipeg	1914

Sources:

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Classified advertisement [Johnson and Clemens], Manitoba Free Press, 11 May 1903, page 12.

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“Large apartment block [Ramona Court],” Manitoba Free Press, 10 April 1911, page 13.

“Man dies as flames rip block,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 February 1965, page 1.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 18 October 1966, page 28.

Obituary [Paul Henry Clemens], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 October 1968, page 35.

Obituary [Laufey Clemens], Winnipeg Free Press, 15 September 1980, page 70.

Winnipeg Buildings Index.

“Trio charged in Sherbrook Street apartment fire,” CBC News, 15 January 2012.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Lenore Clemens, Christian Cassidy, Blair Bingeman, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 13 June 2022

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!