Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site No. 10

Fraser Block
1031 Rosser Avenue,
Brandon

Fraser Block
Designation Date: March 14, 1988
Designation Authority: Brandon (City)
Present Owner: 4906501 Manitoba Ltd

The Fraser Block represents the type of substantial commercial development that began to occur in southern Manitoba in the late 1800s as a number of communities emerged from Winnipeg’s shadow to become regional hubs. This retail and office structure, one of the first substantial business buildings established outside Winnipeg, recalls Brandon’s early advancement as a commercial centre, which set it apart from surrounding towns. Now the oldest building on Rosser Avenue, the Fraser Block also is an interesting example of Romanesque Revival-style detailing as designed by local architect W.R. Marshall. The eye-catching front elevation, with its red brick and Calgary sandstone finishes, conveys elegance and solidity, overcoming its off-centre organization, the result of unfulfilled plans to construct a balancing west-side addition.

The Fraser Block is associated with two prominent early occupants – the A.C. Fraser Dry Goods Store, a leading local retailer for nearly 20 years, and the McKee Academy, which became part of Brandon College in 1899.