The Architecture of William Thomas Ritchie, T
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NRC Publications Archive Archives des publications du CNRC The architecture of William Thomas Ritchie, T. This publication could be one of several versions: author’s original, accepted manuscript or the publisher’s version. / La version de cette publication peut être l’une des suivantes : la version prépublication de l’auteur, la version acceptée du manuscrit ou la version de l’éditeur. Publisher’s version / Version de l'éditeur: Architecture Canada, 44, 500, pp. 41-45, 1967-05 NRC Publications Record / Notice d'Archives des publications de CNRC: https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=bfc1bcb1-6a2c-48ce-b583-192a144e4f59 https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=bfc1bcb1-6a2c-48ce-b583-192a144e4f59 Access and use of this website and the material on it are subject to the Terms and Conditions set forth at https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/copyright READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE. 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Ritchie AT.IAtYTiE Reprinted from Architecture Canada Vol. 44, No. 500, May | 967 p.4l g{'zEt Technical Paper No.246 of the Division of Building Research Ottawa May 1967 Price 10 cents NRC9565 37306624-/2^,/,/a The Architectureof WilliamThomas T. Ritchie Mr Bitchie is a Research Officer with the lnorganic Materials Section of the Division of Building Research, of the National Research Council comingto Canadaand of his personality, includingCobourg, Guelph and London.All littleappears to havebeen recorded. of thesetowns were relativelysmall in those daysand in the earlystages of theirdevelop- The placeof his birth has beengiven as ment. Ten yearsbefore Thomas came to Stroud,in Gloucestershire,England, and Toronto its population was lessthan 3,000 the datewas 1800.When he cameto persons;that of Hamiltonwas probably Canadaabout 1840 he was then therefore abouta thousand;and only a few years forty yearsof age,and probablyhad had passedsince Londonhad beenlaid out alreadyabout fifteen yearsof experiencein as a town. so it consistedof only a few the architecturalorofession. Colvin's housesand log cabins.At the end of the next "BiographicalDictionary of EnglishArchi- decade.however, when Thomas arrivedon tects" refersto WilliamThomas as having the scene,Toronto had been incolporated practicedin Birmingham,where he designed as a city and had a populationof closeto the church of St Matthew, ListerStreet, 15,000persons, Hamilton had about 5,000, Duddeston,built in 1839; and refersto his and Londonabout 3,000.This rapid brotherJohn Thomas(1813-62) who growth of UpperCanada continued in the assistedWilliam for a time. LaterJohn next two decadesat an even greaterrate becamewell known as a sculptorand than before.Conditions were such as to practicedalso as an architect.The dictionary requirea considerableprogram of building William Thomas makesreference to William Thomasof constructionand accordingly provided LeamingtonSpa, who designedLansdowne architectswith an importantrole in the WilliamThomas, an Englisharchitect, came Crescentand Circusand otherhouses and developmentof the new country. to this countryin 1840,when Canadawas villasthere, and who publishedin 1843 a a small,rapidly-developing country, but book "Designsfor Monumentsand The Work of William Thomas one in which,fortunately, prevailing Chimney-Pieces."These references to conditionsencouraged the full employmentof William Thomas identify him as the archi- The earliestbuilding that Thomasdesigned his greattalents as an architect.The period tect who cameto Canada,since the in Canadamay havebeen the Commercial from 1840 until 1860, the year of his death, "CanadianGazetteer", published by William Bank Buildingat 15 WellingtonStreet made up the last third of his lifetime. Smithin Torontoin 1846,mentions the West in Toronto.which was constructedin Duringit WilliamThomas designed some architectWilliam Thomas as havingbeen 1842 andstill stands. Originally built for the of the most importantbuildings erected in "late of LeamingtonSpa", and the obituary CommercialBank, it was taken over by Canada.Many stillstand today and provide of his son (W. T. Thomas,who died in anotherbanking company, and laterstill by evidenceof his considerableskill in the art Montrealin 1892) refersto WilliamThomas firmswho haveused it as an officebuilding of buildingdesign. For this valuablelegacy as the architectwho cameto Toronto from (Figure 1). his nameshould occupy an importantplace England,and whose brotherJohn had in the historyof architecturein Canada.ln "won wide distinctionas a sculptorand ln 1845 constructionwas startedon another ' addition, however,recognition should be architect,having been chosen by Sit Charles given to his developmentof the architec- Barry,the architectof the Housesof Patlia- tural talentsof his students,who, as a ment , . to executethe statuaryabout that resultof his training,came themselvesto building". occupy importantplaces in the early history of the architecturalprofession of Canada. The reasonwhy Thomasgave up his practicein Englandfor a new life in Canada His Life Before Coming to Canada is not known. Perhapsinsufficient demand for hisservices in England,and therefore Little detailedinformation appears to have insufficientscope for the developmentof his beenpublished on the life and work of abilities,ptompted him, like manyother WilliamThomas. Of his careerin Canada architectsof that period of time, to come a reasonably-detailedaccount can be pre- to North America. paredfrom scatteredinformation which appearsin generalaccounts of buildingin Thomassettled in Toronto and most of his Canadain the middledecades of the 1gth work was carriedout thereand in Hamilton, 1 century.and many of the buildingshe althoughhe alsoreceived commissions to Commercial Bank Building, 15 Wellington designedare known. Of his lifebefore designbuildings in othercommunities Strcet West. Torcnto Edifice de la Banque Commerciale, 15 rue Welli n gton o uest, Torc nto 2 4 St Paul's Church, London Bay Street Presbyterian Church, Toronto Eglise St Paul, Londres photographedby O. Thompsonin 1868 3 (Pu blic,Archives of Canada) Oakham House, Toronto L'Eglise Presbytdriennede la rue Bay, Maison Oakham, Torcnto Toronto, photographi6e par O. Thompson en 1868 (Archives Publiques d'Ottawa) 5 St Lawrence Hall, Toronto (Toronto Public Libraries) St Lawrence Hall, Toronto (Bibliothique Publigue de Toronto) of hisToronto projects St Michael'sCathedral and Palaceat Bond and ChurchStreets. Thesebuildings were openedin 1848. The spire,however, was not built until afterhis death,and it was built to the design of MessrsGundry and Langley. About the time of the start of construction of St Michael'sCathedral the buildingof a new churchwas undertakenin Londonto replacethe EpiscopalChurch (St Paul's) which had burneddown in 1844.William Smith,in his"Canadian Gazetteer" of 1846. mentionedThomas as the architectof the new churchin London(Figure 2). Smith alsomentioned Thomas in connectionwith the constructionin Torontoof "new stores at presenterecting in King street". lt would seem,therefore, that not long after his arrivalin Toronto,Thomas had estab- lisheda successfulpractice in architectural designand had receivedcommissions for the designof importantbuildings. A directoryof Torontofor 1843 listedtwo architects,J. G. Howardand KivasTully, in additionto Thomas.Howard and Thomas had comefrom England,Tully from lreland. Smithin his "Gazetteer"of 1846 gavethe numberof architectsin Torontoas four (without their nan'res).He alsomentioned that therewere amongthe tradesand professionsin Toronto two surveyors,five artistsand pofiraitpainters, four engravers, two drawingmasters, one nail maker, sixteenbuilders and twenty-fivecabinet makers,which indicatesthe development taking placein Toronto. In Smith'slater book on Canada,published in 1851. the businessdirectory for Toronto listedthe namesof nine architects,the partnersCumberland and Ridout,W. W. Fraser,J. G. Howard,Joseph Shenod, John Tully,Kivas Tully, Thomas Young, and WilliamThomas, whose address is givenas "OakhamHouse, Church St". In the same book the businessdirectory for Hamilton listedWilliam Thomas, "architect and surveyor,King St", and it alsolisted G. F. Thomas,a surveyoralso on King Street, who may have been a brother,son or other relativeof WilliamThomas. By the year 6 8 Victona Hall, Cobourg St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Hamilton 7 (Torcnto P ublic L ibra ries) City Hail, Guelph Eglise Presbyt'rienne St Paul, Hamilton HOtel de Ville, Guelph (Bibliothique Publique de Toronto) 1851, therefore,the practiceof Thomas requiredthe maintenanceof two offices. Two of his sons,W. T. and C. P. Thomas, trainedwith