Description of Historic Place

The Forbes Building on Main Street in Carberry is the north half of a two-storey brick business block that was erected in the late 1890s and later subdivided and modified. The municipal designation applies to the building and its deep lot.

Heritage Value

The modest-sized Forbes Building is an important part of a rare collection of late-nineteenth-century commercial structures in Historic Downtown Carberry, a designated heritage district. The enduring building complements its neighbours in type, scale, construction materials and spatial layout, and is a critical element in maintaining the physical and functional continuity of its streetscape. Its association with two long-term occupants, J.B. Davey and Son (Funeral Directors) and Carberry Radio-Electric, also recalls an extended period of the town's business development.

Source: Town of Carberry By-law No. 5/2006, June 12, 2007

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the contribution of the Forbes Building site to its streetscape within Historic Downtown Carberry include:
- the mid-block location on the east side of Main Street between Third and Fourth avenues;
- the building's placement, set flush to the front public sidewalk and abutting buildings to the north and south, with some open space at the rear;
- the building's physical, visual and historical relationships with nearby designated structures.

Key exterior elements that define the building's modest commercial character include:
- the narrow two-storey rectangular form, of brick construction over a rubble-stone foundation, with a flat roofline, modest front and side parapets and a small rear (east) one-storey brick extension with a shed roof;
- the main-floor storefront, composed of a recessed entrance with sidelights and large display windows, and the separate door with a transom (now closed) to the second storey;
- the additional openings, including the pair of upper-level front windows and the segmental-arched doors and windows with brick heads at the rear.

Key internal elements that define the building's heritage character and functions include:
- the main-floor layout, including the open front plan, the rear rooms with a north-side staircase to the basement and the rear storage area;
- the separate front staircase to upper-floor rooms;
- the modest materials, finishes and details, including lath-and-plaster walls, wood trim and wood flooring in the stairwells, display areas associated with the storefront windows, a panelled wood door to the basement, etc.