Description of Historic Place

The Austin Elevator (1905) is a medium-sized grain elevator with a ¾ size cupola,
now clad in pressed tin shingles. Moved from the Village of Austin in 1978, it stands on the grounds
of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin. The heritage designation refers to the building.

Heritage Value

The Austin Elevator is a rare surviving remnant of the once-common practice of flour
milling companies to own and operate their own line of grain elevators in order to ensure themselves
a steady supply of high-quality grain. Built for Western Canada Flour Mills, it was operated by that
company until the late-1930s, when it was purchased by Manitoba Pool and used as an annex until 1975.
The elevator is also a valuable example of an early elevator design from before the familiar full-width
clerestory became ubiquitous. This original form is actually the result of a rebuilding project by the
Manitoba Agricultural Museum.

Source: R.M. of North Norfolk By ¿Law No. 799/2012, 9 April 2013

Character-Defining Elements

Key
elements that define the Austin Elevator's exterior character include:
- the basically square plan,
with a lean-to on the track side, accommodating the driveway and scale house, and a small gable-roofed
office attached to the east side of the main block and opening from a small gabled entrance shed on the
east side of driveway andscale house
-the massing, with a ¾ length cupola, flush with the south wall;
the medium-pitch, truncated hipped roof roof on three sides; cedar-shingled roof
- the cribbed 2 x 4
construction
- the wood-framed windows and wood doors

Key interior elements that define the interior
heritage character and grain storage function include:
- the interior divisions, with the driveway and
scale house to the south and the tin-lined office to the north-east
- the functional fittings: the hoppers,
chutes, lift, scales etc. that form the workings of the elevator
- the unfinished wood interior partitions,
fittings and floors