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
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