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23. 507 Eden:
Bed and Breakfast is Historic Landmark
In 1897, at the age of 41, James Conn built this home.
He and his wife, Margaret Dixon, had come west
to Winnipeg from Perth County, Ontario, in 1882,
following Margaret’s parents, William and Euphemy,
who had homesteaded in the Wide Awake district.
Euphemy, or “Grandmother Dixon”, was also a midwife.
The Conns farmed for one very dry year, then moved
into Indian Head, where James served building and
construction apprenticeships under Edwin J. Brooks.
In 1889, James Conn started his own lumber business
on the northeast corner of Grand Avenue and Otterloo.
Later, Conn moved the James Conn Lumber Yard to the
southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Eden and built
this stately brick home on the northwest corner of the
same intersection. Even before telephones, Conn had
communication wires running above Grand Avenue from
his house to his lumber yard.
The house was home to other families. The John
McKay family rented it from 1931 until 1944. During
this time, it was divided into apartments. Carl Pearen
also made structural changes to the interior as well
as the exterior of the building, closing the front
door and removing a grand oak staircase. However,
many Victorian embellishments remain, as do many
noteworthy exterior features: wide eaves with brackets,
the oculus in the front attic gable, the lovely cresting that
crowns the roof and the belvedere.
Many visitors now enjoy Bonnie Warnyca’s Eden
House Bed and Breakfast. LK
Oculus – circular window
Cresting – a ridge along the top of a roof
Belvedere – raised turret atop a house designed to give a
good view
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