At first glance an attractive house on a farm near Boissevain looks like it might be one of the many fieldstone homes in the region. A closer look tells us that those building blocks are concrete.
For a few years in the early 20th century, many buildings in southern Manitoba were built with locally cast concrete blocks.
Much larger than bricks, the blocks were hollow, and were typically flat on the interior face but patterned on the exterior face.
Because these blocks did not require high-temperature firing like bricks, there was no need for the substantial infrastructure used in conventional brick-making. They could be made on the building site with portable equipment.
It all began with the patent in 1900 for H.M. Palmer’s block machine. Within a few years, this new technology really caught on.
Aside from the advantage of making your building material on site with locally available materials, by using a variety of molds one could produce an attractive and durable exterior. By altering the type of sand used you can get a bit of variety in colour and texture.
The use of concrete blocks was popular only for a short while, with most examples being from 1904 to 1910. Perhaps with improved rail access, the availability and quality of both wood siding and bricks were a more attractive option? Perhaps the uniform grey colour was not as appealing?
Numerous concrete block buildings are still standing and looking good in towns across our region. They include fine heritage homes, old schools, and commercial buildings like this one in Waskada.
The Waskada Telephone Office – built in 1910.
How Blocks Are Made
The cement is poured into a mold arranged with the outside surface (in various patterns) at the bottom. Depressed end pieces are put in to make the blocks partly hollow. When the mold is half filled, a metal block known as the “core” is placed in position. The mold is then filled to the top and tamped. It hardens quickly under the pressure and may be taken from the mold at once. The “core” is then removed, leaving the blocks hollow.
Looking back at how so many of these buildings have survived in good shape we can see it was a good practical choice for the times.
So if you are passing though one of the towns in the southwest corner keep an eye out for more examples. (Hint: check out the buildings of the Waskada Museum, or have a look at the corner of Main and Souris Streets in Melita, or drive down Egan street in Boissevain.)
Sources:
Boissevain History Book Committee. Beckoning Hills Revisited. “Ours is a Goodly Heritage” Morton – Boissevain 1881 – 1981. Altona. Friesen Printing, 1981
Boissevain’s 75th Jubilee Committee. Beckoning Hills.
Davidson, Connie. Gnawing at The Past Lyleton 1869 - 1969. Lyleton Women’s Institute. Leech Printing Ltd., 1969
http://misspreservation.com/2011/08/18/when-concrete-blocks-were-the-latest-fad-part-i/
