Historic Sites of Manitoba: Willys-Overland Building / Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building (686 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)

This three-storey brick building at the corner of Portage Avenue and Maryland Street in Winnipeg, measuring 50 feet by 175 feet, was designed by local architect John Danley Atchison and built in 1916 by the Sutherland Construction Company for the Willys-Overland Company, at a cost of about $60,000.

In 1938, Leonard and McLaughlin Motors, an automobile dealership that sold Nash, Cadillac, and Dodge vehicles, vacated its building farther down Portage Avenue and moved into this building, occupying it until the mid- to late-1960s. The original “Sales and Service” lettering is still visible on the south facade.

Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building

Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building (1938)
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 28 March 1938, page 5.

Interior of Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building

Interior of Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building (1940)
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 1940, page 4.

The former Willys-Overland Building

The former Willys-Overland Building (no date)
Source: Kerrin Asmundson

The former Willys-Overland Building

The former Willys-Overland Building (April 2018)
Source: George Penner

The former Willys-Overland Building

The former Willys-Overland Building (May 2022)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88771, W97.16079
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: John Danley Atchison (1870-1959)

Manitoba Business: Sutherland Construction Company

Memorable Manitobans: Alexander Robert Leonard (1869-1942)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building / CBC Building (541 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“City & district,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 October 1916, page 5.

“Two big garages are being built,” Manitoba Free Press, 28 October 1916, page 8.

“New location for an old firm,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 March 1938, page 5.

“Auto service department,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 1940, page 4.

“Your Winnipeg headquarters with over 40 years of continual customer service,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 April 1963, page 73.

“Notice to all car buyers,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 October 1966, page 24.

This page was prepared by Kerrin Asmundson, George Penner, Jordan Makichuk, and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 27 December 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.

Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | Other

Inclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.

Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.

Search Tips | Suggest an Historic Site | FAQ

Help us keep history alive!