404 – 13th Street
(Lots 9/10, Block 13, Plan 2)
Brandon, Manitoba
Designation Date: January 16, 1989
Designation Authority: The City of Brandon
One of Brandon’s most impressive homes, this 2½ storey landmark was built in 1905 for Ernest Lisle Christie, founder of a successful stationery and school supply company that continues to bear his name today. It has been said that before 1920 virtually every school textbook in Western Canada passed through Christie’s shop, a statement which says as much for the prominence of Brandon as it does for Christie himself.
The house was designed by renowned Brandon architect W. A. Elliott and was constructed by the local firm of G. C. Taylor. It is a modest interpretation of the Queen Anne style of architecture that was very popular for house designs from about 1880 to 1910. The design includes such features as an irregularly shaped roof, a bay window, and an open verandah with column porch supports. The distinctive rose-coloured brick used in the building was manufactured in Hartney by the Manitoba Brick Company.
Ernest Christie lived here until his death in 1934. The home remained occupied by members of his family until 1966. In recent decades, the home has been owned by the Brandon Regional Health Authority and by the Salvation Army.