1133-1137 Lorne Avenue
(Lots 37/40, Block 45, Plan 2)
Brandon, Manitoba
Designation Date: July 10, 2000
Designation Authority: The City of Brandon
This 2½ storey brick building was built in 1892 by Bell Brothers Construction Company. Originally a four-unit terrace home, the building boarded many of the Bell Brothers Construction workers at that time. It is the largest and one of the oldest multiple family dwellings in the neighbourhood. In 1918, it was converted into an eight-suite apartment block and later, in 1979, it was converted into a fourteen-suite unit. The Bell Brothers were the most prominent building contractors in early Brandon and were noted for their use of high quality materials and fine workmanship. The company constructed both private and public buildings and at one time employed over forty workers. This Italianate style structure was built with bricks from the first kiln in Brandon at McVicar’s Brickyard and features such decorative elements as a raised band of brick encircling and forming arches above the windows. The peak of each gable is highlighted with elaborately patterned brickwork including an infilled arch known as a blind arch.