Dalnavert
61 Carlton Street

In 1895, Hugh John Macdonald hired architect Charles H. Wheeler to build a house. Mr. Wheeler was a local architect who first gained prominence by winning an international competition with his design for Winnipeg's Holy Trinity Church. His design combined features of late Victorian and Art Nouveau styles.

The house at 61 Carlton Street cost $10,500 and included 'modern conveniences' of the day, indoor plumbing, electrical lighting, built-in walk in clothes closets and a central hot water heating system. Dalnavert, as it was called, was equal to other high-class residences in the neighbourhood, being decorated with stained glass windows and highly varnished woods.

Following Hugh John's death in 1929, the property was sold and the house was converted into a rooming house, which it served as for the next forty years. In 1970, The Manitoba Historical Society saved the house form demolition and in four years spent $559,000 restoring it.

The Society hired restoration architect John Chivers to carry out the meticulous work of restoration. Because no blue prints or plans were available on which to base the restoration, a careful and precise documentation was done during the stripping of the interior and exterior of the house. Based upon what was found during the stripping process and a basic knowledge of construction and decoration of the 1895 time period, the house was returned to its original appearance.

Dalnavert today allows visitors a glimpse of a gracious past. The home is now completely refurbished in the style of the 1880s giving the house a warm, lived-in appearance. As one tours the elegant hallways and rooms, it is hard to believe that some of the warm, rich woodwork had as many as 14 coats of paint over the original finish, all of which had to be removed during the restoration.

Dalnavert is a part of Winnipeg's heritage preserved for present and future generations.