134 and 144 5th Street - Two Grand Houses

Image from Google Street View 2014

Two Grand Houses written by Dolores Caldwell September 3, 2010

Anyone who has ever lived here knows of the two grand old houses that once belong to Reston‘s prominent country doctors, Dr. Chapman and Dr. Clark on 5th Street in Reston.

In 2008, Dana and Victoria Ross purchased a house at 144 5th St. from Alvin and Sheila Dodds. The house first belonged to Dr. Chapman then eventually Alvin and his mother, Irvine Dodds lived there.

The stately home next door belonged to Irvine’s sister Jennie Dempsey at 134 5th Street and was sold to Dana and Victoria by Jenny‘s niece, Margaret Caldwell in 2009. It once housed Dr. Clark’s office.

Once again the houses that sit side by side are lived in by two sisters.

Dana and Victoria purchased Echo Books on 7th Avenue in Virden, across from the Bread basket in 2007. The Ontario born sisters were living in Elgin at the time and found the drive to Virden tiring. They started looking for accommodations closer and fell in love with these historic homes. Echo Books is filled with new and used books, knickknacks, antiques and furniture.

In Reston, they are currently living at 134 5th Street (Jennie‘s house) while the first house is being refurbished. “We are stripping down everything: there were eight layers of wallpaper, starting with a blue willow design that went through most of the house,” stated Dana.

“Eventually we would love to fix up the old garage.  The architecture in that building is beautiful,” said Victoria. “It is probably one of the oldest buildings in Reston.”

The first house had tree damage so new posts had to be put in making it and the front porch structurally sound.  Weeping tile was added to both houses but luckily there wasn’t a lot of water in the basements.

In what was known as Jennie's house, the back kitchen has been modernized with new cupboards and countertops. Windows were replaced and the flooring was torn up to discover two hardwood floors placed on top of each other. The rest of the main floor has remained the same, except for new wiring and light fixtures. They tore up the carpet in the living and dining room and washed the hardwood floors and stained them with boiled linseed oil and sealed them with a hardwood wax.

“I’m grateful that the woodworking was never touched,” said Victoria. “We don’t plan on changing it, we love it just the way it is.”

The attic was leaking, they hired a carpenter from B.C. and he brought the house up to code.  They transformed a room that was going to be used just for storage into a computer room/studio/spare bedroom with a new floor, tongue and groove walls and wall to wall carpeting. “The whole room just snowballed,” said Dana.

They only took out one wall in the house. Upstairs, they made one bedroom out of the two.

While renovating, they found an old newspaper from 1905 and a picture of a young girl from the flapper era. Out in the garden, they discovered a toy train that they believe could have been from the 1800’s.

Outside they have added a nice deck for stargazing and have three garden plots of 40 x 15ft. They use Jennie’s old garden on the south side of the property for growing squash and other vegetables that don’t require a lot of light. All their produce is grown without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides and they use Heritage Seeds.

“It’s like a magical garden, everything just grows: the beets were the size of turnips, the corn was 10 feet tall and the chard never stops growing,” said Victoria.

They produced so much on their new plots that they decided to get a table at the Virden Farmers’ Market. “The chard was a big seller, it would be gone in minutes,” said Dana. “We always try to save some for the Evergreen Place in Virden, the seniors really enjoy it.”

The ladies are very keen on learning as much about the houses as they can. They have visited the local museum and would love to see anyone’s old pictures of the two houses.

“This house is very sound now, it should be here for another hundred years,” said Victoria.

January 2020 update 
The huge twisty-trunked tree pictured below lives in the yard just north of the Dodds home along Second Avenue.  I wonder how many decades it has been there and what stories it could tell.  Sharon 

July 2021 update: 

A summer storm proved to be too much for the proud old tree and it came part way down over the sidewalk.  It took a lot of labour to get it down completely and pieces of it were offered to passerbys to keep their own part of Reston's history.  I'm not much for identifying trees but the leaf reminds me of a willow.  I would love to hear any more to this story!  ssimms@escape.ca

128 2nd Avenue - Bulloch House

128 2nd Ave written by Fletch Manning in 2002

The photo shows this stately brick home that was built in 1890. This house is owned by Jack and Margaret Smith who live there with their family, Tyler, Chad and Amy on 128-2nd Ave.

I have been unable to locate records to prove its builders nor first owners. In the late 1800s in Reston there were; builder and contractor James Staliwood,  Arthur and Walter Bushby,  Moses and Robert Paul and a bricklayer named George Corbin.

One of my sources of information indicated to me that the C.P.R. did own this house at one time.

In February 1906, the Angus Estate, who were renting from the C.P.R.,  released the sale to Robert Robertson Paul.  In 1909, Mr. Robert Bulloch(Sr.) bought the house and property. In approx.  1920 a portion of the land was sold to Mr. Alfred Archer, who built his home. This is the house currently owned by Dave Braddell.  Mr. and Mrs. Bulloch were blessed with nine children and many of the men were known just by their first initials. There were; T.A. (Thomas), J.D. (John - who died early in life ) , R.C. (Robert), W.H. (William), Sandy, Aggie, J.D. (named after his older deceased brother) , J.I.( Jim) and Dee.

In 1933 Robert’ son R.C. and his wife Ina moved into the house. They had been living in the house now owned by Ken and  Marj Jago. When Mr. and Mrs. R. C.  Died, their house was inherited by their daughter Marion and in 1969 owned by Juliette Tinant. Neuf and Noreen Olenick  bought the house from Julie and lived there until they sold it to Jack and Margaret in 1991.

The Smiths are enjoying this wonderful old house and are renovating bit by bit as time allows.

2nd Avenue - McMurchy-Curtis-Winch House

The McMurchy/Curtis/Winch House in Reston written by Lucille (Paul) Curtis wife of Leo Curtis in the 1980’s

When we bought the Massey business in 1948 from Jack McMurchy, we became the owners of their house on the corner of 5th Street and 2nd Ave. in Reston. I was told that it was the former form of W.A. Brady family before their house was built on 1st Street.

The kitchen was unique in that it featured one window and seven doors – one leading to the basement, pantry, bathroom, upstairs, dining room which had an archway to the living room and two doors to the front and back porches. A verandah surrounded the south and east side of the house.

The upstairs consisted of three bedrooms. A door at the top of the stairs opened on to a balcony.

My brother Irving told me that the McMurchy yard has been featured in the garden magazine. At one time there was an arbor covered with Virginia creepers which ran from the front street back to the edge of the back yard. There was a summer house (Delle McMurchy’s description to me) in a hedge which ran west of the house to the arbor. It had two benches facing each other and an open roof. In front of the hedge were irises, oriental poppies and peonies.

On the east side, opposite the kitchen, was another flower garden of peonies and delphiniums.

An outside entrance at the back of the house led down to the cellar door. This was used mostly for drinking water delivery to a tank in the basement.

The back yard had posts made from rocks held together by cement. Cement dividers outlined paths around a rock garden.

A cement pond at one time held goldfish, had a bench along one side among a rosebush and trees and a small bridge over a small stream out of the pond. A couple of times, the pond was filled with water from the town well and became a swimming pool for our children. They charged one boy 25 cents to join the fun.

Daughter Delle McMurchy had a small playhouse but this went to her sister Pearl McGaffin in Virden in the early years.

A rock fence divided the lot between the Debbie’s in the early years and Edison and Loretta Berry in the later years.

The verandah and balcony were in bad condition so we had the Toews brothers repair the balcony and rebuild and close in the verandah.

The house was sold to Wattie and Mary Winch when we moved to Winnipeg in February, 1960.



Update - April 2020 by Sharon

From the Olenick photos

Janis Lobreau has been in touch with an update to Mrs. Curtis's memories above.  She and her husband Gilbert bought the house from the Winch family in 1975.  They lived there until 1986 when they sold the lots to Jack and Muriel Mayberry.  The house was demolished and they had a new one built on the spot.  Vince Moore and Melanie Vinck and their family own the house now.  

154 9th Street - Smith House

Image from Google Street View 2014

The Smith house (former Scotty Mennie house) by Fletch Manning in 2004

Mr. A. E. Smith (Ab)* came with his family to the Elm Valley district in 1888 to farm. As a young man, he butchered and provided met to neighbours and friends.  In 1899 he opened a small shop in the small settlement of Reston. Later on, he built a fine two-storey store butcher shop.

In 1905, Mr. Smith bought some land on the east side of Reston, the south half of 9. He lived above the meat shop before his marriage and in 1927 had a fine new home built for he and his wife, Ellie. Mr. Bushby was the carpenter. It was built on the land he had previously purchased and where it still stands today.

Mr. Smith was noted for his original advertising in the Reston Recorder. He had a special spot in the paper for his ad, and each week had a “catchy comment”. During World War II, the Recorder was passed around overseas to the service men and many comments of “Let’s see what Mr. Smith has to say this week” were expressed.

In 1951, after 51 years in the butcher shop business, Mr. Smith sold his home to Alexander (Scotty) Mennie. The D.V.A. (Department of Veterans Affairs ) assisted returned veterans with property. Scotty and Shirley and their two sons lived there until 1972. They sold the home to Ms. Carrie McAdoo who in 1995 sold it to Mr. Conrad Karpinski. Connie sold the house to Mr. Cory Martin, the present owner.

*More on A. E. Smith can be found online at this Heritage Manitoba link on page 40
 http://heritagemanitoba.ca/images/pdfs/featuredProjects/We_Made_Pipestone_Heritage_MB_complete.pdf

235 1st Street - McMurchy House

The McMurchy house written by Fletch Manning in 2004

Here is another of the historic homes in Reston. It was known as the McMurchy house, and stands at 235 1st St.

This house was built in 1900 by Mr. Monders, a carpenter who came from the west. Mr. Monders lived in the house while working in Reston on other homes.

In 1910-11 Colin and Agnes (Bulloch) McMurchy, a newly married couple bought the house. They lived here with their children, Elmer, Margaret (Bud) and Ann Marie.

The McMurchy’s were familiarly known as Cappie and Aggie as well as Grandpa and Grandma Mac.

In 1972-3 Bill and Georgina (Forke) Phillips purchased the place. They lived here until 1990 when it was bought by George Cargo, the United Church minister. When George left, he sold to Pat Hamel. She leased the house to Brad and Donna Rozak, Jace and Eleanor Jago, Correy Neville and the Philip Gould family. Kent Hamel and Nancy Mullens and family are now owners and proud to live in this comfortable abode.

246 9th Street - Willment House

The Willment Home written by Fletch Manning in 2004

This is about Ida Willment’s cozy, two-story home on the east side of Reston. The house was built in 1903 and believed to have been constructed by a C.P.R. employee.

In 1907, Mr. Thomas Wilkins and wife Emily (Stonehouse) with their two children Tom Jr. and daughter Kathryn bought the house. Son, Tom took the printing trade at the Recorder, later becoming the owner and publisher of the Killarney Guide. At that time the house seemed so far out on the prairies.

Mr. and Mrs. Dodds (George and Maggie) retired from their farm south of Reston and bought the home from Wilkins. They lived here until 1958. The home was rented for a short term to Larry and Veda Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Baker, and to Glenn and Heather Walker. In 1966, the Dodds sold the house to Harry and Ida Willment. Harry passed away and Ida still resides here. She says there have been two extensions to the east side but the rest of the home is much the same. The houses were constructed so soundly in the early settlement days.

When talking to the owners of these old houses, one topic has often arisen. It is stories of the “pipe hole”. Years ago The kitchen (or dining room) had a pipe that went from the kitchen range, across the ceiling and up a pipe hole to the second floor. From there the pipe exited to a chimney. The purpose of the extended pipe was to heat the second floor with the heat from the kitchen stove.

Later heating changed and the pipe was no longer needed, but there remained a “pipe hole”. There was quite an ornate iron cover put over the hole and when removed one can see down to the kitchen (or which ever room was below). There are many comical stories of what went on as viewed from someone on their tummies, peeking down the “pipe hole”. Do you have any?

One mother had the pipe hole cover put back onto the ceiling after renovations, just so she could remember where it was and recall pleasant family memories.

An Introduction to Historic Reston Bricks and Boards

Welcome! I am glad you found your way here, to my new blog.  With 2020 marking Manitoba’s 150th, a blog to focus on the stories of the homes and buildings in the Reston area seems to interest me.  Although none are as old as that of course, many are well over 100 years.  Fires and demolitions made me realize these symbols of the past may soon be gone in brick and board but they remain in the memory of those who spent time within their walls. Recording the pictures and memories of former homes for future generations is my goal.

The photo above taken in January 2020 is the same scene in the top banner of the blog.  That postcard, along with many others of Reston, can be found at the Prairie Towns website here. http://www.prairie-towns.com/reston-images.html

I’m starting off easy on myself by posting the writings of others in the community on this topic.  My thanks to Dolores Caldwell at the Reston Recorder for allowing me access to their archives and Fletch Manning for her articles that I recalled were published in the local paper from the early 2000's to 2012.  The research done and recorded by Fletch was an excellent starting point and inspiration. 

I know that many of this blog readers will have information, pictures and stories of these and other houses in the area. I hope you get in touch with me to add further information, old pictures and correct me as well. You can contact me at ssimms@escape.ca

377 Fourth Street - Manning House

Image from Google Street View 2014

The Manning House 1906-2006 written by Fletch Manning in 2006

This old house was built in 1906 by Mr. Harry Lockhart. Fred and Harry Lockhart came from England to the Bardal district to farm but Harry preferred carpentry. He lived south of Clover Hill on the land where Miles Mayert now lives. I was told that he walked down the tracks on Sunday to church in Sinclair and was usually whistling.

Mr. Lockhart came to the "new town" of Reston and bought two 100 foot lots, where the Mannings and Williamsons now live. At one time there was a pronounced hill here and just south a big slough that later became the site of the theater.

This house was built with an 18" high foundation and no basement. There was one big room, divided by half arches making a living room and kitchen. To the side was a small pantry, a hall and turned staircase that led to the bedrooms upstairs. Mr. Lockhart lived here while he built the second house next-door, north.

In 1908, Mr. Majaury bought the place. He was the blacksmith whose shop was where our present post office stands. Aunt Jenny Dempsey, a distant relative recalls visiting here and seeing the new baby.

In 1910, Mr. Kippen Cates bought the house. As a new lawyer he had previously purchased a building further south and set up his law practice. This building was referred to as the Cates Block, and was on the side of the present Stewart Lumber.  He also bought the land across the road to the east. There he put up the tennis courts.

Mr. Cates was an energetic "doer" and a handy man. He arranged to have a full basement and solid foundation. With a horse and scoop shovel the basement was dug and an inner 18" wide foundation poured.

In 1927, he had an addition added to the north, a kitchen on the main floor and the second stairway leading to the rooms above.

He had two cisterns put in. One was for rain water and the other for drinking water. With help, he put in a pressure system and this was one of the first homes in Reston to have a tap upstairs and a flush toilet.

That same year, 1927, he laid oak hardwood floors. These uncovered floors have not had one board replaced in 89 years and are still beautiful after all the traffic on them. Kippen Cates lived here with wife Elizabeth and Phyllis, Beth, Tanis and Bruce. He died in January, 1946.

In 1946, R.C.A.F. Veteran Russell Manning applied through Veteran Land Affairs to purchase the place.  He had to have a half acre of land. His application was accepted.

The VLA paid Mrs. Cates $3600 and Russell Manning paid $2700 to VLA.  The stipulation was that he must live on the property for 10 years before he was granted the deed.

In 1964, Anglo Canadian Oils bought a 150 foot lot across the road and build a station. Bob Peel was the first operator. After Anglo there was Royalite, Gulf Canada and now Petro Canada.

In the 30s a back room was added on the west side. In 1996 and addition was added to the north side.

Russell is gone and the seven children are all off on their own. But this old house is still warm and comfortable. It has been a wonderful home for 60 years.

323 Fourth Street - Williamson House

Image from Google Street View 2014

The Williamson House written by Fletch Manning  in 2006

Mr. Harry Lockhart built his house in 1907. It was a duplicate of the house beside it to the south, the one he lived in, now the Mannings.

It had two main rooms separated by half arches and a staircase leading to the bedrooms on the second floor. The chimney on the west end was for the kitchen stove which heated the house. Stove pipes kept the upstairs a little warmer.

In later years a bigger kitchen was added on the west side and a wood shed to the south. The Napiers added a front porch. Garnet Williamson enlarged the building to the west in 1982 and added the carport in 1989.

Mr. and Mrs. John Napier lived on a farm north of Ted Zarn's, in the Lanark district. The Napiers bought the house from Harry Lockhart and after John’s death, Mrs. Napier and daughter Bella lived here.

In the early 1920s, Bella met Mr. Art Morris, who was a tailor apprentice with Mr. Al Archer. Following their marriage the couple lived here a short-time before moving back to the farm.

Dr. Stevenson, a veterinary, took up residence for a short time as did Mr. Dick Anderson, who was a road master with veterinary.

In 1931, Mr. and Mrs. William Abbey and family moved in here from Saskatchewan. In 1943, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Read bought the home from Bella Morris. The Reads moved back to Ontario and their daughter-in-law Gertie Read became the new owner and resident in 1961.

In 1976, Trev and Linda Williamson bought this place and sold it to brother Garnet in 1979, who with wife Cathy and sons still reside.

In 1929, Egbert and Edison Barry wired the house for electricity and later John Berry did further electric work. 

These two houses each had a barn in the back yard that housed chickens. It was not unusual then to even have a cow. And of course a needed building - the "out house" was in the corner of the back yard. These were great targets for the bigger Hallowe'en pranksters to push over. But I am told these important little buildings were not so easy to set back up on their foundations.

There have been many changes to this house. With an adept, fine carpenter as Garnet, it is now update modern home for the active Williamson family.

106 Second Avenue - Swayze House

Image from Google Street View 2014

The Swayze House written by Fletch Manning in January 2012

This stately old house has had three significant names in its lifetime, as people in small towns are prone to name. These names have been: (a) the Guthrie house, (b) the McMurchy house and (c) the Swayze house.

William R. Guthrie was born in 1836 and was a shoemaker by trade. He came west in 1882 to work on the new C. P. R. and settled north of Reston in the Lanark district. His family from Ontario joined him in 1884. In 1905, William built a larger brick house which today is the home of Ted and Sandra Zarn. Virden Brick Co., founded in 1890, supplied bricks for many of the new settlers.

William died in 1909 and his son James Wilborn Guthrie carried on with his father’s farm but that same year purchased Lots 1 and 2 in Reston. As of 1906, this property was owned by Mr. R. R. Paul. The new attractive brick house he built was almost a twin of his former home in Lanark. This Guthrie was known locally as J.W.

J.W.‘s sister Ellen had married Mr. T.A. Bulloch and lived across the road (street) from J.W.  These two men partnershipped "Guthrie and Bulloch" business, whose original building still stands on Main Street in Reston, just north of the Bank of Montreal. Larry and Veda Robinson carried on Larry’s grandfather's business in this same office.

Following the death of J.W. and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and family bought the house. It was war time and rooms were rented out in the upper storey.

In 1944, Mr. and Mrs. Ernie McCartney bought the home. Mr. McCartney had moved to Reston, having been hired by Cecil Paddock (Paddy). Paddy had a new business "The Reston Creamery". This business was located south of the tracks in the former C.C. Campbell & Son Seed House which was originally the C.P.R. Roundhouse. The round house is now a distinguished landmark in Manitoba history. Mr. McCartney was appointed by the municipality as constable. He was respected and also playfully referred to as sheriff or Two- gun.

In 1947, Mr. Duncan McMurchy and wife Mary, who farmed south of Reston in the Dublin district, bought the house. Duncan died in 1953 and Mary in 1972. In 1957, the municipality hired Clarence Swayze as municipal foreman. Clarence and his wife Peggy and children Wayne, Wanda and Clark lived in the municipal-owned house on 1st Street, on the now site of Murray Cowan’s home. In 1971, Clarence and Peggy bought the McMurchy house and now it was the Swayze house.

After retirement Clarence meticulously redid every room on three levels of their home. The property has always been well tended (and still is). Clarence died in July of 1988. Peggy lived alone before moving to Winnipeg where her son Clark lives. Wayne lives in Moose Jaw. Daughter Wanda (Mrs. Murray Cowan) passed away in July 2007. The boys still attend to the upkeep of their beautiful old home.

224 Second Avenue - C.C. Campell House

The C.C. Campbell House as it was known in the early 1900s by Fletch Manning October 5, 2012

This classy old home owned by Ray and Joann Sauve was built around 1907. Previously there was a stable on lot #1 owned by Mrs. James Smallwood. This stable was later removed as the growing town built their own livery stable on Railway Avenue near where Williamson’s Trucking business is now situated. According to records, Mr. A.C. Robertson bought the next lots (2 and 3) and build his house on lot 2.

Mr. Colin C. Campbell came from southern Ontario and settled in Reston in 1906-07 and bought lot 1. The following year in 1908, he bought lot 2. He and his wife Minnie (Macklin) raised two children Mildred (Mellor) and son Colin St. Clair Campbell (C.S.).  Mr. Campbell bought a number of parcels of land and was a cattle drover. Later on, he built and operated a seed plant business south of town which was eventually managed by son C.S.

C.S. married Claire Clark and they were blessed with four children Colin Keith (he was known as Colin Keith to distinguish him from C.C. and C.S.), Judy, Gregg and Neil.

There have been other occupants in this house namely the families of Ken Tully, Elmer Bulloch, Alex Cowan, George Jago and Bob Stewart. Ray and Joann Sauve purchased the house from B. Stewart in 1974. The proud owners maintained much of the original grandeur and beauty of the interior and the exterior.

In the early years, people entertained in their homes with several guests. Mrs. Muriel Guthrie remembers as a child dances that were held there. Those were good times, plenty of food and dancing. The rugs were rolled up and furniture pushed back for dancing. Many had violins, accordions, a piano or the old-fashioned mouth organ.

The original house was much smaller, facing the east, but there have been additions. Joann says this makes 19 outside walls.

A special feature to mention is it three-sided veranda wrapped around, with each side having an entrance to the interior.

One word describes the interior, “Grande” with its well-kept old doorway casings and the classy newel post and stairway. In one room is an old upright furnace register with the manufacture’s date of 1902. In another room is the original old fireplace with it cast iron front, surrounded by tiles instead of the usual brick. These special red tiles are approximately 2”x 5” and were imported from Italy. The same model fireplace on the second floor has turquoise tiles.

Visitors are welcome at the front door through the original glass framed door.