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T.W. Taylor Building

177 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1985/07/15

Primary elevation, from the southwest, of the T.W. Taylor Building, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Primary Elevation
Contextual view, from the south, of the T.W. Taylor Building, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Contextual View
Detail view of the T.W. Taylor Building, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Detail

Other Name(s)

Johnny G's
Johnny G's
T.W. Taylor Building

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1882/01/01 to 1882/12/31

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2008/02/14

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The T.W. Taylor Building, built in 1882, is a modest-sized brick structure situated mid-block beside commercial buildings of similar age, height and style on McDermot Avenue east of Main Street in Winnipeg's historic warehouse district. The City of Winnipeg designation applies to the building on its footprint.

Heritage Value

The T.W. Taylor Building, a modest Italianate-style structure, symbolizes the printing trade that once clustered on McDermot Avenue in downtown Winnipeg providing support services to nearby newspapers and other businesses. The building's initial and long-time occupant (to the late 1960s), the T.W. Taylor Co., was a successful, technologically progressive local enterprise that specialized in quality bookbinding and the production of account books and business forms. Its founder, Thomas William Taylor, also was prominent in local politics, serving as a city alderman, two-term mayor and member of the provincial legislature. This compact structure, animated on the front by a variety of fine brick mouldings, is one of the few remaining from its era produced by a local builder before the practice of hiring an architect was necessitated by prestige. It also is a key component in a row of brick warehouses from the 1881 to 1921 period that forms an important streetscape within the Exchange District National Historic Site of Canada.

Source: City of Winnipeg Committee on Environment Minutes, July 15, 1985

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the T.W. Taylor Building site include:
- the mid-block location on the north side of McDermot Avenue between Main and Rorie streets, flanked by municipally designated warehouses of similar height, style, construction and age
- the structure's position on its wedge-shaped lot, built to the edge of the property

Key exterior elements that define the building as a modest, Italianate-style warehouse include:
- the long wedge-shaped form, two storeys high and constructed of brick over a limestone foundation
- the flat roof highlighted by a brick parapet with decorative raised side caps and a central segmental-arched pediment
- the narrow front (south) elevation, framed on the outer edges by pilasters and divided into three bays of openings, including a bracketed stone frontispiece at the west end, tall narrow rectangular windows with segmental-arched brick heads and keystones, and two openings in the raised basement
- the strongly textured and exuberant detailing, including patterned brick banding elements above the first storey, corbelled brickwork in the frieze and cornice, and the rusticated limestone frontispiece, windowsills and keystones
- the wide rear elevation, symmetrically organized, with a corbelled brick cornice, tall narrow rectangular openings with segmental-arched heads and radiating brick voussoirs, etc.

Key elements that define the building's interior character include:
- the cast-iron columns that support the centre beam
- features such as the vault off the front entrance, the heating registers, etc.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Manitoba

Recognition Authority

City of Winnipeg

Recognition Statute

City of Winnipeg Act

Recognition Type

Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure

Recognition Date

1985/07/15

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Commerce / Commercial Services
Eating or Drinking Establishment

Historic

Industry
Communications Facility

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

15-30 Fort Street Winnipeg MB

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

W0081

Status

Published

Related Places

Aerial view

Exchange District National Historic Site of Canada

Exchange District National Historic Site of Canada is located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The site consists of a densely built, turn-of -the-century warehousing and business…

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