J.H. ASHDOWN HARDWARE
James Henry Ashdown came to Winnipeg in 1868 and soon set up shop as a tinsmith. Two years later, Ashdown purchased two lots at the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue, hoping to capitalize upon the growing traffic moving through the central part of the growing city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. This property located at 476 Main Street (now addressed 211 Bannatyne Avenue) soon housed the storefront, and by 1875 the offices for the J.H. Ashdown Hardware wholesale business as well. In the next decade, Ashdown had established branches in Portage la Prairie, Emerson, and Calgary, Alberta. By 1910, Ashdown was a millionaire, and was known as the "merchant prince" of Winnipeg.
Disaster struck the building in October of 1904 when a fire that started across Bannatyne Avenue in the Bulman Block crossed the street, and easily burnt through J.H. Ashdown Hardware after finding the stock of kerosene, gunpowder, bullets, and paint within, causing a series of explosions. The Bulman Block was completely destroyed, and the blaze caused approximately $200,000 in total losses to the building and the stock of the store.
Despite the building being almost a total loss, the foundation remained, and the warmer temperatures of November and December of 1904 allowed for a quick re-build. The new building's first two floors were completed before the new year, and in 1905 the remainder of the building's six stories were completed.
James Henry Ashdown died in 1924, and his business was passed down to his son, Harry Ashdown. After Harry's death in 1970, J.H. Ashdown Hardware was sold to Big 4 Sales, and a renovation to the rear of the building by its new owners prompted an overhaul of the building's facade.
Disaster struck the building in October of 1904 when a fire that started across Bannatyne Avenue in the Bulman Block crossed the street, and easily burnt through J.H. Ashdown Hardware after finding the stock of kerosene, gunpowder, bullets, and paint within, causing a series of explosions. The Bulman Block was completely destroyed, and the blaze caused approximately $200,000 in total losses to the building and the stock of the store.
Despite the building being almost a total loss, the foundation remained, and the warmer temperatures of November and December of 1904 allowed for a quick re-build. The new building's first two floors were completed before the new year, and in 1905 the remainder of the building's six stories were completed.
James Henry Ashdown died in 1924, and his business was passed down to his son, Harry Ashdown. After Harry's death in 1970, J.H. Ashdown Hardware was sold to Big 4 Sales, and a renovation to the rear of the building by its new owners prompted an overhaul of the building's facade.
The brick was plastered over and the windows covered on the front half of the Bannatyne elevation. The windows along the front of the building were completely reworked into broad horizontal frames filled with glass blocks. The segmented corner was retained and cut in to further emphasize the angular segment. Most of the other windows of the building were painted over and the cornice was removed completely. The front of the building was completely altered to give the appearance of a new building. Blind windows and a monochromatic finish on the other three sides of the building have contributed to its more modern appearance.
Source: City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee Report, 1986.
Big 4 Sales operated out of the Ashdown building until 1992, and was later renovated to accommodate offices and other businesses. Now, the building is known as the McKim Building, and houses a variety of offices, the Across the Board Game Café, Bodegoes Restaurant, and the Amsterdam Tea Room.
