The Ralph Connor House By Varina 902

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The Ralph Connor HouseBy Varina 9-02
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The Ralph Connor House

• A historical house in Winnipeg
• Built for Charles William Gordon
• Built by a famous architect named George
  Northwood
• Bought by The University Womens Club of Winnipeg

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History

• Built in 1914
• Located at 54 Westgate
• Owned by Charles Gordon
• Original cost was 50,000
• University Womens club bought the house in 1939
  from being demolished
• Assessment went up to 397,000 in 1994

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Charles William Gordon

• The house was named after Charles W. Gordon
• Ralph Connor was his penname
• Born in 1860, died in 1973
• He married Helen Skinner King and had 7 children
• He was a author, pioneer, and a historian
• In 1976 Charles was recognized as a person of
  National Historic Significance by Heritage Canada

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Nan Pyzer

• Nan was born in Billingshurst, East of Sussex
  England
• Worked for Gordon family as a housekeeper
• Helped raise Gordons seven children
• Worked for them for 5 years

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History of The University Womens club of Winnipeg

• The Club rented the premises in 1939 as their
  clubhouse
• The club opened on March 10th, 1939
• The club purchased the house on November 22nd,
  1945 from the city of Winnipeg
• The cost for the house was 7,000 and title was
  received on December 31st, 1945
• Many restorations were made and artifacts were
  donated

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The University Womens Club Of Winnipeg

• Holds meetings along with social gatherings
• Promotes heritage preservation and improvement of
  the environment
• Supports Canadian and international federations
  of university women

• Encourages individual women to expand social
  network meeting
• First club President was Margaret Johnson
• Organization founded since 1909

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Restorations

• Detailed carvings of oak furniture
• Three stories high
• 5 furnished bathrooms and 3 luxurious libraries
• Formal interior has leaded glass windows
• Beamed ceilings
• Dining room paneling is made up of oak
• Moravian tiles depicting biblical scenes Cain Abel

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Tourism

• Holds guided tours along with social meetings
• Room rentals available under charge
• Interviews and receptions are held up to 150
  people

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Artifacts

• Ralph Connors books edition of Canadian and
  bookman
• Paintings and ornaments
• A picture given by Mrs. Gordon of Rev. Gordon in
  uniform as Chaplain of the 43rd Battalion
• In 1983 the house was designated an historic
  house by the Winnipeg historical buildings
  committee, a bronze plaque was given

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Bibliography

• Sources
• Geraldine, Morris, et al., eds. The most
  important available reserve of Manpower.
• Websites
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/birthday.html
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/house.html
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/eowpics.html
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/ralph.html
• http//timelinks.merlin.mb.ca/communit/nan_pyz/nan
  _pyz.htm
• http//www.uwc-wpg.mb.ca/book.html
• http//collections.ic.gc.ca/heirloom_series/volume
  5/308-311.html
• http//uwc-wpg.mb.ca/xmas99.html

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The End

• Varina 9-02