Manitoba Historical Society
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Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Rouge Methodist Church / Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw Avenue, Winnipeg)

Link to:
Clerics | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

This stately church at the corner of Nassau Street and Wardlaw Avenue in Winnipeg, designed by local architect J. H. G. Russell, started life in 1910 as Fort Rouge Methodist Church. It was renamed Fort Rouge United Church following the 1925 unification of Methodist, Congregational, and Presbyterian denominations in Canada. Following a two-year trial period, in July 1937 the congregations of Fort Rouge Methodist Church and Crescent Congregational Church (whose building had been located at the corner of Arbuthnot Street and McMillan Avenue) formally merged in this building, which became known as Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church.

An honour roll tablet commemorating members of Crescent Congregational Church who served overseas during the First World War was unveiled on 6 November 1921 at a special evening service at the church. It was unveiled by Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Godson-Godson. It was later moved to this church, along with Honour Rolls for Central Congregational Church and Fort Rouge Methodist Church.

Clerics

Period

Cleric

1910-1913

Henry Irvine

1913-1917

George Fletcher Salton (1858-1943)

1917-1921

W. L. Armstrong

1921-1926

Edward F. Church

1926-1931

Charles F. Bland

1931-1935

Allworth Eardley

1935-1939

R. McElroy Thompson

1939-1945

William M. Grant

1945-1974

George Fraser Dyker

1974-1976

James Esek Stewart

1976-1981

Ernest P. Johnston

1981-1982

Donald W. Hilton

1982-1984

Kenneth David Howlett

1984-1989

Donald W. Hilton

1989-1994

Donald Eskdale

1994

David Barrows

1994-1995

David Alvares

1995-2005

Patricia Wotton

2005-2006

Paul Peters Derry

2007-?

Irene Greenwood

Photos & Coordinates

Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church

Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church (April 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Interior of Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church

Interior of Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church (April 2017)
Source: George Penner

Interior of Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church

Interior of Crescent - Fort Rouge United Church (April 2017)
Source: George Penner

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87611, W97.14752
denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties (Fort Rouge Methodist)

Name

Occupation

Service

Rank

Birth Date

Death Date

Parkyn Sydney Bishop
[Eatons, Next of Kin, 108 Battalion]

Transportation

1st Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)

2nd Lieutenant

1892

30 November 1917

Thomas Johnstone Logie Butchart
[Fort Rouge Methodist, Next of Kin, Vimy Ridge, Wesley College]

Student (Wesley College)

44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

30 April 1897

20 June 1917

William Henry Clipperton
[La Verendrye School]

School Principal, La Vérendrye School

8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

10 April 1886

17 August 1917

George Daniel
[Next of Kin]

Bookkeeper

4th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery

Corporal

26 October 1897

1 October 1917

Hanford Edgar Davidson
[Next of Kin]

Telegraph Operator

27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

12 August 1884

26 September 1916

Hart Leech
[Law Society, Next of Kin, Wesley College]

Student-at-Law

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Lieutenant

9 March 1889

15 September 1916

George Elder Mathesius

Clerk

43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

10 March 1895

15 April 1917

Forest H. Mitchell

Civil Engineer

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Lieutenant

1882

6 February 1917

Durward Frederick Peck
[Morris]

Bank Clerk

78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

15 December 1896

30 October 1917

Clifton Andrew Peterson
[Next of Kin]

Clerk

78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

13 December 1895

30 October 1917

Clarke Hall Popham
[Kelvin, Next of Kin, Wesley College]

Clerk

8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

2 June 1894

26 September 1916

Edward Silver
[Bank of Montreal, Next of Kin]

Bank of Montreal

2nd Battalion, London Regiment

2nd Lieutenant

?

1 May 1918

Fred Irwin Simpson
[Broadway Methodist, Law Society, Next of Kin, Virden, Virden Methodist, Wesley College]

Law Student

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Captain

15 April 1893

12 March 1917

Otto Russell Williams
[Gladstone, Kelvin, Law Society, Next of Kin]

Student

Canadian Army Service Corps

Driver

27 May 1895

29 May 1917

See also:

MHS Centennial Organization: Crescent Fort Rouge United Church

Sources:

“Lauds women’s war service: Col. Godson-Godson unveils memorial tablet in Crescent chamber,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 November 1921, page 6.

Crescent-Fort Rouge United Church, 525 Wardlaw Avenue by Murray Peterson, Peterson Projects, December 2009.

We thank Judith Hudson Beattie, George Penner, and Darryl Toews, for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 October 2022

Historic Sites of Manitoba

This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.

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