G.W. Garrison House

Description of the Historic Place

The G.W. Garrison House (now known as the Original Bulk Cheese Warehouse) is a two-storey brick building that was constructed in 1918. Located on a corner lot at 732 Broadway Avenue, the building is a local landmark in the neighbourhood of Nutana.  

Heritage Value

The fieldstone foundation of the G.W. Garrison House was built in 1886 by George Wesley Garrison who came west with Commissioner John Lake in 1883. The concrete building that exists today however was not constructed on the stone foundation until 1918. Originally a two-storey building stood on this site, and was used as the Garrison family residence. Records indicate that between 1891 and 1894, Garrison leased rooms to the North West Mounted Police.

In 1918, the Saskatoon Children's Carriage Company Ltd. took over the building. Drastic changes were made to the building including the dismantling of the stone walls. The walls were replaced with concrete and brick veneer, and were constructed on the original stone foundation. Over the next few years the building changed hands many times. Occupants included a grocery store, confectionery, ice-cream parlour, book bindery, jewelry store, furniture store, and meat market.

The G.W. Garrison House continues to be a popular site for business today and is a prominent building in the Nutana neighbourhood. It was the first stone building in the area, and has remained an important feature on Broadway due to its original 1918 architectural character.

Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Those elements that represent its historical importance: including its brick façade, parapet, building form and original location along Broadway Avenue.