Description of Historic Place

Kerr House, a compact 1 1/2-storey brick dwelling built in 1887 and later converted to commercial use, stands in a mixed-use neighbourhood on the southern edge of downtown Winnipeg. The City of Winnipeg designation applies to the building on its footprint.

Heritage Value

The Kerr House, one of Winnipeg's oldest surviving middle-class residences, is a rare and excellent vernacular example of the Second Empire style, which had only short-lived popularity in Western Canada. The small dwelling, through features such as its mansard roof with dormers, moulded window surrounds, prominent cornice and brickwork, is one of the purest local examples of the style. Built for educator Francis Ferguson Kerr, it served a succession of households through the years and, now rehabilitated for office use, retains most of its original exterior materials and design features. The tidy building, saved from demolition and moved several blocks southeast to its present site in 1988, is a distinct feature set within a secluded terrace and garden in downtown Winnipeg.

Source: City of Winnipeg Committee on Planning and Community Services Minutes, January 30, 19

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the Second Empire style and other distinguishing exterior features of the Kerr House include:
- the basic 1 1/2-storey rectangular form made L-shaped by an extended rear wing
- the picturesque, asymmetrical massing with walls of brick construction
- the steeply pitched, straight-sided mansard roof punctuated on all elevations by single and paired round-headed dormers of various sizes
- the numerous tall openings, including a transomed door and bay window with segmental-arched openings and panels of angled brick on the front (south) elevation, single and paired sash windows on the sides, a rear entrance, etc.
- the decorative detailing and materials, including brick quoins, enriched hood mouldings and a wraparound plinth, the wood dormer trim and plain cornice, the notched window and door header mouldings, the smooth stone windowsills, etc.

Key internal elements that define the building's heritage character include:
- the front entrance with a side-hall staircase to upper rooms