Armstrong’s Point
Encyclopedia
Armstrong’s Point is a large bend in the Assiniboine River
, just west of downtown, in West End, Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada. The land was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a mainly residential district for well-to-do families.
in 1849 with a Pensioner Regiment. In 1854, returning to England, he put James Armstrong (1790-1874) in charge of the property. Hearing of Hill's death, the property was sold to Francis Evans Cornish
, the first mayor of Winnipeg. In the early 1880s, Hill returned to Winnipeg, and reestablished his ownership of the land before selling it to a speculators' syndicate in April 1881 for C$28,000. The speculators renamed the area Victoria Place, though officially it was known as Registered Plan 119.
During the period of 1880 through 1920, stately homes were built on its four named roads, Cornish Avenue, East Gate, West Gate and Middle Gate. The first home was completed around 1882. Some of the buildings in Armstrong's Point are of note. These include the Cornish Library
, completed in 1915; #40 Westgate became the French Consulate; #54 Westgate, the Ralph Connor
House, became a National Historic Site; #86 Westgate became the Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
; #134 Westgate became the Japanese Consulate; #146 became the St. John's-Ravenscourt School
.
style. Funded by residents and built by the city's engineering department, the Gates are unique, having been built by the property owners instead of a real estate developer.
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, just west of downtown, in West End, Winnipeg
West End, Winnipeg
The West End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a mostly residential area just west of Downtown Winnipeg. It is bordered by Route 62 on the east and stretches as far west as St. James Street, the boundary between the old City of Winnipeg and St. James-Assiniboia...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada. The land was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a mainly residential district for well-to-do families.
History
The Hudson’s Bay Company deeded the land to Joseph Hill who arrived at Red River of the NorthRed River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
in 1849 with a Pensioner Regiment. In 1854, returning to England, he put James Armstrong (1790-1874) in charge of the property. Hearing of Hill's death, the property was sold to Francis Evans Cornish
Francis Evans Cornish
Francis Evans Cornish, QC was a politician in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. He served as Mayor of London, Ontario, in the early 1860s, became the first Mayor of Winnipeg in 1874, and was for a time a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.Cornish was born in London,...
, the first mayor of Winnipeg. In the early 1880s, Hill returned to Winnipeg, and reestablished his ownership of the land before selling it to a speculators' syndicate in April 1881 for C$28,000. The speculators renamed the area Victoria Place, though officially it was known as Registered Plan 119.
During the period of 1880 through 1920, stately homes were built on its four named roads, Cornish Avenue, East Gate, West Gate and Middle Gate. The first home was completed around 1882. Some of the buildings in Armstrong's Point are of note. These include the Cornish Library
Cornish Library
The Cornish Library , a branch of the Winnipeg Public Library, is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Like the St. John's Library, the Cornish is one of two Carnegie libraries in the city. It is a Grade II listed building, a Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure, gazetted in January 15, 1993...
, completed in 1915; #40 Westgate became the French Consulate; #54 Westgate, the Ralph Connor
Ralph Connor
Rev. Dr. Charles William Gordon, or Ralph Connor, was a Canadian novelist, using the Connor pen name while maintaining his status as a Church leader, first in the Presbyterian and later the United churches in Canada. Gordon was also at one time a master at Upper Canada College...
House, became a National Historic Site; #86 Westgate became the Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate is a 7-12 Mennonite private school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-Mission Statement:Westgate Mennonite Collegiate is a Christian school grounded in the Anabaptist tradition. It is the mission of the school to provide a well-rounded education that will inspire and...
; #134 Westgate became the Japanese Consulate; #146 became the St. John's-Ravenscourt School
St. John's-Ravenscourt School
St. John's-Ravenscourt School is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory school founded in 1820. Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the school delivers an enriched curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, is the royal patron of the...
.
Gates
The Gates at East Gate, West Gate, Middle Gate, also known as Armstrong's Point Gates or Barrières d'Armstrong's Point, were designed by the architect Lt. Col. Henry Norland Ruttan in 1911, and built in the same year. Flanking three entrances to the Winnipeg neighbourhood, they are nearly identical construction, built of stone and wrought-iron, and of Classical RevivalNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
style. Funded by residents and built by the city's engineering department, the Gates are unique, having been built by the property owners instead of a real estate developer.