McPHERSON, George (1884- c. 1922), active in Winnipeg, Man. from 1912 to 1922 as an architect and designer of the New Starland Movie Theatre (1921), a lavish theatrical venue which stood on Main Street for over 80 years until it was demolished in 2008. McPherson was born in Scotland in 1884 and was educated and trained there before he emigrated to Canada in 1912. He settled in Winnipeg where he worked as a draftsman for John D. Atchison, a leading architect in Winnipeg, in 1913-14 (City of Winnipeg Directory, 1913, p. 1300) and in 1915 he was recorded as an assistant to Herbert E. Matthews (City of Winnipeg Directory, 1915, p. 1313). The following year he became a staff architect in the local office of the Dept. of Public Works there, and by 1918 he had opened his own office in Winnipeg. No information has been found on his activity after 1922. He may be the same “George McPherson, architect” who was active in the town of Buckie, Co. Banffshire, Scotland during the period from 1906 to 1911 (see entry in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects [online]).
WINNIPEG, MAN., residence for William H. Ryan, Montrose Street near Kingsway, 1916 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 7 July 1916, 2, t.c.)
WINNIPEG, MAN., The New Starland Movie Theatre, Main Street near Logan Avenue, 1921, demol. 2008 (Winnipeg Tribune, 9 July 1921, 25, descrip.)