Description of Historic Place

The Customs Examining Warehouse, located in Winnipeg’s commercial district, is a four-storey, flat-roofed, brick and stone structure topped with a metal cornice. Designed in the Renaissance Revival form of the ‘Commercial Style’ developed in Chicago, the warehouse features a clearly articulated tripartite façade and classical detailing. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Customs Examining Warehouse is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Customs Examining Warehouse is associated with an increase in activity at the port of Winnipeg and an expansion of the city. The 1907 Tariff Policy led to a significant increase in the level of customs’ activity and a need for expanded facilities. When the Warehouse was built, the city of Winnipeg was the third-largest grossing port in Canada.

Architectural Value
The Customs Examining Warehouse is a very good example of the Renaissance Revival form of the Commercial style, developed in Chicago in the 1880s. The style is expressed in the composition and detailing of the facades. Designed to be fireproof as required by its function as a warehouse and storage facility, the building exhibits very good functional design.

Environmental Value
The Customs Examining Warehouse maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and is compatible with the early twentieth-century character retained within Winnipeg’s Exchange District. Located in the warehouse and commercial area of the city, the building represents Winnipeg’s increased stature as a port city. Both the site and the style were carefully chosen to reflect its importance and as such it is a familiar building within its neighbourhood.

Sources:
Customs Examining Warehouse, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 88-052; Customs Examining Warehouse, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Heritage Character Statement, 88-052.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Customs Examining Warehouse should be respected.

Its Renaissance Revival form of the Commercial Style, and functional design, for
example: the rectangular, four-storey massing of the flat-roofed brick building; he clearly articulated tripartite arrangement of the façade, composed of, the first-storey
base with large round-arched doors and windows that projects slightly and are separated
from the upper section by a wide stone band, the three-storey middle section that has
paired rectangular windows separated by full height pilasters, and the uppermost section
composed of a large entablature and projecting cornice; the classical detailing- keystones, string course, wide band in stone, modillioned cornice
and rusticated stone foundation; the fireproof design of the building including the floors of reinforced concrete, the iron
and stone stairs and the frame of fireproofed steel.

The manner in which the Customs Examining Warehouse maintains an ongoing relationship to its site, is compatible with the twentieth-century character of its commercial setting and is a familiar building in its neighbourhood, as evidenced by: its ongoing relationship to its unchanged site in the warehouse and commercial area of
the city; its overall style, scale, material and function that are compatible with the group of
building that make up Winnipeg’s Exchange District; its recognition as an important building during a period of growth for the City of
Winnipeg which contributes to its familiarity within the neighbourhood.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Customs Examining Warehouse was built in 1907-08 by the Department of Public Works, under Chief Architect David Ewart. It currently serves as a storage facility. The Department of Public Works is the custodial department. See FHBRO Building Report 88-52.

Reasons For Designation
The building was designated Recognized as a result of its historic associations, its architectural merit and its unchanged urban site.

The Customs Examining Warehouse is associated historically with an increase in activity at the port of Winnipeg and an expansion of the city. The 1907 Tariff Policy led to a significant increase in the level of customs' activity and a need for expanded facilities. By the time the Warehouse was built in 1908, Winnipeg was the third-largest grossing port in Canada. Both the site and the style for the new building were carefully chosen to reflect its importance. Located in the new warehouse and commercial area of the city, the building represented Winnipeg's growing stature at that time.

The Customs Examining Warehouse is a very good example of the Renaissance Revival form of the Commercial Style developed in Chicago in the 1880s. The building, on its unchanged site, retains the character of commercial buildings from the period, as does the Exchange District in which it is found.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character of the Customs Examining Warehouse is defined by its architectural style, its functional design and its unaltered commercial setting. The Renaissance Revival style was derived from the design of the Italian palazzo. The tripartite division of the palazzo façade into a rusticated base, piano nobile and cornice is characteristic of the style as expressed in commercial buildings.

In the Customs Examining Warehouse, the style is expressed in the composition and detailing of the façades. The building is a four-storey, flat-roofed, rectangular structure, brick-clad, with a stone foundation and a galvanized metal cornice. Each façade receives the same treatment, with the tripartite arrangement of the façade clearly articulated. The first-storey base, with large round-arched doors and windows, projects slightly and is divided from the above section by a wide stone band. The three-storey middle section has paired rectangular windows, separated by full height pilasters giving vertical emphasis. The uppermost section is composed of a large entablature and projecting cornice. As is typical of the Renaissance Revival style, the detailing is classical - keystones, string course and wide band in stone, modillioned cornice and a rusticated stone foundation.

The building was designed to be fireproof, as required by its function as a warehouse and storage facility. The floors are of reinforced concrete, the stairs are of iron and stone, and the frame is of fireproofed steel. A generous number of elevators were provided to permit ease of circulation. A program of inspection and maintenance of both the interior and exterior building fabric should be instituted if not already established.

The structure remains essentially unchanged on its original site. In addition, the Exchange District of Winnipeg has retained its turn-of-the-century character. The Customs Examining Warehouse is one of a number of buildings in similar style, scale, material, and function from that time. However, the district has recently become a centre for theatre, shopping and dining, as a result of adaptive reuse of some of the buildings. In view of these changes, it would be appropriate for the Warehouse to continue its historic function as an office/storage facility if possible.