Manitoba Telephone System Building

• its location within the village limits of Cartwright

Key elements that define the building's exterior heritage character include:

• the compact single-storey massing under a forward-facing gable roof
• the light-coloured stucco finish and painted, mostly plain wood trim
• the abundant fenestration, including vertically set rectangular windows with fixed outer units containing multi-paned upper sections and lower sliding components, and inner sash windows, transoms over the front and rear entrances; pebbled glazing in the bathroom window; etc.
• details such as panelled and glazed wood doors, a scrolled bracket under the front gable peak, return eaves, wood plank trim at the base of both gable ends, carved wood mouldings around the front door, etc.

Key interior elements that define the building's character and telephone switchboard function include:

• the side-entrance plan divided into a front customer service area, central work area and rear utility rooms
• the partition of glass and dark-stained wood between the customer service and work areas, complete with a counter, cupboards, a wicket window, etc.
• the narrow washroom with a built-in medicine cabinet and pre-waterworks facilities
• the basic materials, finishes and details, including wood trim on doors and windows, areas of wood wainscotting, chair rails and vertical wood planking, pendant light fixture, door, window and cabinet hardware, switchboard and other equipment, built-in features such as the utility room storage cabinet and attic ladder, etc.