Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site No. 42

Welch Block
410-412 South Railway Street,
Boissevain

Welch Block
Designation Date: February 20, 1990
Designation Authority: Boissevain (Town)
Present Owner: privately owned

The Welch Block, with its traditional storefront facade, grey stone walls and recessed centre entrance, stands as a determined link to Boissevain’s past. The building carries a strong association with pioneer entrepreneur and stalwart public servant Alexander R. Welch, who opened his first Boissevain business in 1894 and later moved into these premises. The Welch name was a presence in Boissevain’s business district until 1961 and the Welch Block has been home to a succession of retail operations for over a century. Although the use of fieldstone for the construction of commercial buildings was not widespread in southwestern Manitoba, Boissevain’s main street boasted several such structures, of which the Welch Block is the sole visible example.