The Building with Many Lives

 

Article and picture from Brandon Sun - September 28, 1976

I regretted when I was researching the schools of Reston for this blog that I didn't have a picture of Reston's first school. A chance finding of the above clipping online from 1976 is grainy but may stir the memory of some of my readers.  The building was constructed as a one room school in 1893 as well as a home for both the Methodist and Presbyterian churches to gather.  The large four room brick veneer school was built in 1904-5 and a man named James Cavanagh bought this first school for $1000, a princely sum in those days. It is not known what he used the building for but in her article above, Mrs. Helen (Manning) Ready writes about the next owner.  David Guthrie Dobbie arrived in Reston from the east in 1906 and used the building for his wagon making and undertaking business until 1932.  The second storey was added by Mr. Dobbie in 1913 and the Dobbie family, wife Hettie and children John and Alice lived in a small house in the back.  When wagonmaking was no longer a busy enterprise, he began painting cars. 

Joshua Kines Robertson started his career in Reston as a baker but when an electric generating plant was installed in the teens,  he became the operator.  Due to increasing demand, Manitoba Hydro took over in 1929 and Mr. Robertson was out of a municipal job. There was still a need for private electrical work so Joshua and his son Robbie Robertson bought the building to accommodate electrical sales and repair shop.  A beauty salon rented space in the building in the 1930's and 40's - Nu-Art Beauty.  

It sat empty for a few years before the municipal council agreed to buy the building in 1960 and use it as a ladies' rest room.  Previous public facilities had been provided in the basement of the old Manitoba Hardware and the Masonic Hall.  Attendants lived in the back part of the house in exchange for keeping the Rest Room tidy and ready for use.  Meetings were held and boxes were packed here for the Red Cross and other charities. 

 

Now we catch up to the time Mrs. Ready wrote the article above.  In the meantime,  the Municipalities of Pipestone and Albert received a government grant for a public library in 1975.  A board consisting of Gordon Forsyth, Frank Curtis, Ben Kroeker, Diane Fotheringham, Eileen Grieg and Teena Chester did the groundwork for The Reston and District Library.  Space was used in the former Rest Room in 1976 and 1977 with Mrs. Nancy Schiltroth and later Mrs. Debbie Smith as librarians.  A new space in the Aurora Building meant the library moved to the east side of it with Mrs. Emma St Pierre taking over librarian duties.  The Library moved again in 1987 to a spot in the Reston Place Mall.

In October of 1977, Mrs. Irene Kendrick set up her craft and ceramics shop in the Rest room building for the next 8 years until 1985.  She had two sizes of kilns and many different molds. Mrs. Kendrick had ceramic making classes for adults and children including school groups, 4-H and Girl Guides.  In 1991, Mrs. Kendrick sold the building to the municipality and it was determined to be past its usefulness.  After so many years of service to many, it was demolished on April 8, 1992.  

Later in 1992, the brand new Reston and District Library was built on the spot. Onagh Williamson took over librarian duties in 1993 and today Terri Vandenberghe is leading the way through Covid restrictions to keep books (both paper and digital) in the hands of housebound citizens. 

Picture from their Facebook page

A bronze plaque outside the building outlines this history.  A paper written by David Braddell in 1992 was another wonderful source as was the Trails Along the Pipestone (1981) history book and Mrs. Ready's article.